For over half a century, the question of how to conserve and replenish water in Idaho’s largest aquifer, the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA), has been on the collective minds of the state’s water users. Serious droughts in the 1990s increased pressure on the ESPA resource, and preliminary recharge efforts were unsuccessful. Finally, in 2009, […]
ESPA Achieves Record Recharge Read More »
Today is World Food Day and we see many promoting their initiatives to fight hunger as they celebrate October 16, 1945 – founding day of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. One of Schroeder Law Offices’ missions is to support people feeding the world. We do this by offering legal services for
October 16, 2017: World Food Day Read More »
Co-Authored By: Attorney Therese Ure & Lisa Mae Gage In August 2015 the United State Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) put their stamp of approval on the Waters of the United States (“WOTUS”) final rule. The WOTUS rule significantly expanded the definition of “waters of the United States”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, and the Bureau of Reclamation (“federal agencies”) are engaged in a five year process to analyze the effects of the Federal Columbia River Power System on salmonid species. In May 2016, District Court Judge Michael Simon found the federal agencies had violated the Endangered Species
Snake River Dam Removal Public Meetings Read More »
In a move he hopes will ease the most arduous administrative burden faced by the Idaho Department of Water Resources, Director Gary Spackman has created the state’s largest groundwater management area, encompassing the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer (ESPA) region. Hoping “to stop the drop” of the aquifer level, which has experienced an annual rate
Groundwater Management Area created for East Snake Plain Aquifer Read More »
New studies have shown that a large number of older farmers are concerned with their ability to find a successor who is able to afford to buy their land, thus putting their plans for retirement at risk. Currently, the average age of the American farmer is 58 years old. Only less than 6% of American
Next Generation Farmers Need Our Help Read More »
Rights-of Way on Public Lands and Administrative Avoidance Century old rights-of-way uses of public lands can only be confirmed through a long, expensive federal court process. Because the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) cannot determine the validity of water delivery and road rights-of-way on public lands, farmers, ranchers, and local
Rights-of Way on Public Lands and Administrative Avoidance Read More »
Below, please see the ground water management public meeting schedule posted by the Idaho Department of Water Resources. Additional Information for Idaho Ground Water Management: IDWR’s website with the ESPA GWMA information: http://www.idwr.idaho.gov/water-rights/GWMA/proposed.html Director’s letter regarding ESPA GWMA: http://www.idwr.idaho.gov/files/ground_water_mgmt/20160707-Letter-to-Waters-Users-from-Gary-Spackman-Re-Proposed-ESPA-GWMA.pdf Map of Proposal: http://www.idwr.idaho.gov/files/ground_water_mgmt/espa-gwma-boundary-map.pdf
Idaho Ground Water Management Area Public Meetings are Scheduled Read More »
BLM’s Sage Grouse Plan Collaboration-Implementation is underway. As part of the BLM’s effort to ensure collaboration and engagement during implementation of the sage grouse plans, the BLM is sending out invitations to stakeholders to begin the dialogue. These invitation only meetings will occur on: April 22nd in Salt Lake City, UT April 26th in Boise,
Sage Grouse Workshop Read More »
Final rulemaking related to Forest Service permits for Ski Area Water Rights was released on December 30, 2015. Unlike an earlier directive passed in 2011, the Ski Area Water Clause will not require ski areas to transfer water rights to the federal government as a condition of operating on public land. Instead, the new clause will
Forest Service Changes It’s Tune on Transfer of Ski Area Water Rights Read More »
The latest chapter in Schroeder Law Offices’ long-standing relationship with the Idaho Rural Water Association can be found in the Fall 2015 edition of IRWA’s quarterly publication, The Water Gram. In it, Laura Schroeder and James Browitt discuss the current status of Idaho’s ambitious adjudication process, which has worked its way from the Snake River
Talking Idaho Adjudication, IRWA Read More »
El Niño is gracing the West Coast of the United States and water watchers are enjoying relief from the past few years of drought, but the catch-up game may take longer than hopefuls could dream. Reports from the U.S. Climate Prediction Center indicate that wetter weather is forecast for the West Coast through at
Drought Aid in the West Read More »
North Idaho Adjudication Ramping Up With Idaho set to wrap up a 27-year water-rights adjudication of unprecedented scale nationwide, water administrators are gradually shifting their focus to the state’s northern basins and a procedure expected to take only a fraction of the time as the Snake River Basin Adjudication (SRBA). The SRBA — involving all
North Idaho Adjudication Read More »
The following annoucenment was issued by the Bureau of Reclamation on January 4, 2012: The Bureau of Reclamation has reissued for public comment four draft Reclamation Manual releases regarding water-related contracting activities. These draft releases provide definitions of key terms and revise existing definitions for water-related contracts, restructure and clarify Reclamation’s water transfer and conversion
Bureau of Reclamation: Water Contracting Read More »
Do you keep your deeds in the safe? A secure file? If so, you surely know what water uses you are entitled to and have these records kept safe and secure reviewing them annually? If not, you’re lucky that the state has records on the water uses related to your property. However, it’s unlikely these records
Start 2010 Out Right: Organize Your Title Records! Read More »
At Schroeder Law Offices, P.C., we routinely work with our clients to develop efficient water use and management systems. Upon reviewing the competition offered below, we thought of you! Thus, if you are an innovative and efficient water user, or perhaps want to share your ideas with others then you might check out this competition!
Water Efficiency: A Competition to Test Your Cutting Edge Ideas. Read More »
Idaho Power has announced that the Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) project will be holding their Community Advisory Process Public Meetings. Participants at these meetings will have the opportunity to: 1. Learn more about the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project. 2. Review and provide input on criteria for evaluating routes for the proposed transmission line.
B2H: Public Meetings Announced. Read More »
The Society for Range Management in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management has produced a 9 minute video that “serves to tell a story about the role of livestock grazing on western public rangelands and our collective hope for a future of sustained rangeland health and enjoyment.” “Hope on the Range” is a video
2,4-D is a herbicide commonly used to attack broad leafed plants, but it is less harmful to grasses. In agricultural applications, herbicide is applied to wheat, small grains, sorghum, corn, rice, sugar cane, low-till soybeans, orchards, rangeland, and pasture. Others mix it with other herbicides or pesticides for application onto non-producing lands such as roadsides,
What would you do if you couldn’t use 2,4-D? Read More »
The Bureau of Reclamation recently announced they are seeking letters of interest from non-Federal entities throughout the western states to conduct river basin or sub-basin studies. The Bureau is conducting the studies as part of the Water for America initiative. The Basin studies are to be cost-shared on a 50/50 basis with state, tribal and local partners.
Bureau of Reclamation: Water for America River Basin Studies Read More »
