Gov. Little's Idaho Falls visit to talk water curtailment sees large protest from farmers

On a smoke-filled Tuesday morning, farmers from across eastern Idaho lined up over 70 tractors on Lindsay Boulevard to protest Gov. Brad Little’s visit with the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Little spoke to farmers and chamber members where he reaffirmed his commitment to not involve the government in the water curtailment issue and that farmers in this region can find a solution on their own.

Little said he’s been focused on the water issue plaguing eastern Idaho farmers since May. He’s been calling farmers and surface water users, urging them to find a resolution that will benefit both sides.

“I can tell you that waiting until the last minute is unacceptable to me. We must give certainty to all water users in future years,” Little said. I’ve said it, and I’ll say it again and again. We need to have these resolved by farmers because their solution is always going to be better than either A) government edict, or B) somebody in a long black robe, but particularly the federal government.”

Little said that, unlike the 2015 water agreement, the conversations on both sides need to find what’s acceptable and what can work for them, as the prior agreement did not age well.

Part of his talk with the Chamber of Commerce also featured a Q&A event. Melaleuca Executive Chairman Frank VanderSloot asked Little for his thoughts on the agreement that has to be made by Oct. 1 as part of the deal agreed upon by the Surface Water Coalition and groundwater districts.

“How do you reckon that this is going to turn out better than the 2015 deal, which got us in this situation in the first place, when it’s the same people negotiating at the table, except one side is at a huge and much larger disadvantage today than they were then?” VanderSloot asked.

Little responded that we have to live in this country for better or worse under the laws and Constitution in Idaho. The way forward is not to undo the state’s laws and Constitution but to redefine what’s adequate to operate under.

“We have been at this stage in negotiations multiple times over my lifetime,” Little said. “I am totally confident that we will come to some resolution. Will it make somebody who just had, who has a brand new water right totally whole? I guarantee you it will not.”

Carl Taylor, the organizer of the protest and a potato farmer, told Little that this small water issue has now become a major issue. Taylor is also the vice president of the Bonneville-Jefferson GWD and said he’s part of the group involved in the ongoing negotiations.

He said Little put it best when he stated that we need to solve this issue, but the word “we” also includes Little as well.

“Because we means all of us. It means the Legislature, it means you, it means Lt. Gov. (Scott Bedke). Left to our own, we will not solve that without some tweaks,” Taylor said.

Prior to Little speaking at the Westbank, Taylor told the Post Register the protest highlighted farmers’ concern about their future in this region after a water curtailment order affected 330,000 acres of Idaho farmland.

Taylor and many other organizations have called on Little to step in to help resolve the water issue. Taylor said Little has some options from here on out to either “walk, ride or push. Just don’t stand in our way.”

“We need some legislative changes and some cooperation, and there’s enough water. We just need to manage the resources that benefit Idaho and all of its patrons and citizens.”

Taylor hopes for some legislative changes to ensure that if a water call is made against all groundwater district’s and users, a check is made to ensure there is enough water to avoid a curtailment.

When the curtailment order was sent out in May, Taylor said his wells were shut off to help deliver the 74,100 acre-feet of water from the water call that Twin Falls Canal Company had issued. He said this helped show how flawed the current system is, and a month later, the water call went down to 6,800 acre-feet.

VanderSloot told the Post Register after Little’s talk that he was disappointed by the governor’s comments.

“He clearly is okay with closing down farm ground. It’s not necessary,” VanderSloot said.

VanderSloot points to the framework that the groundwater districts and surface water coalition have to work under that was in place when the 2015 agreement was made and the current agreement that’s being negotiated. He said there have to be changes in the laws, otherwise farmers will end up in the same situation all over again.

“I think that our community will hold our state leaders accountable for what happens to this region. And we’ll wait to see,” VanderSloot said.

Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, who attended both the protest and Little’s talk, said this has become a major issue to the community and very concerning to everyone.

Looking ahead to the 2025 legislative season, she said this will require legislative action to help solve the water issue. She has low expectations of a good deal coming out of the Oct. 1 deadline.

“Perhaps there are some things that they can agree to in those meetings or other meetings that are happening. But I know that we, as legislators, are planning a legislative package as well,” Horman said. “We’ll work with our colleagues to help them understand that this doesn’t just impact eastern Idaho. This will impact the entire economy of the state of Idaho.”