Appropriates $28,274,300 to the Department of Water Resources for fiscal year 2017; limits the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions to 155; appropriates and transfers $716,000 from the Revolving Development Fund to the Aquifer Planning and Management Fund; transfers $2,500,000 of the appropriation from the Economic Recovery Reserve Fund to the Secondary Aquifer Planning, Management and Implementation Fund; transfers $5,000,000 of the appropriation from the General Fund to the Secondary Aquifer Planning, Management and Implementation Fund; appropriates and transfers $100,400 from the General Fund to the Priest Lake Outlet Subaccount; and expresses legislative intent concerning the sale of the Pristine Springs property.

This is the fiscal year 2017 appropriation to the Department of Water Resources in the amount of $18,530,400 from the General Fund, $7,465,600 from dedicated funds, and $2,278,300 in federal funds for a total of $28,274,300. The budget includes increased funding for benefit costs, a 3% CEC and accounts for the 27 payroll. Inflationary adjustments include General Funds for rent costs and dedicated funds for general inflation such as travel and repairs. Replacement items include software upgrades, computer equipment adjusted to a four-year replacement cycle, seven vehicles, andfieldequipment. Lineitem1providesadditionalappropriationtoallowthedepartmenttospend receiptsfromsubleasestotheStateAppellatePublicDefenderandtheSoilandWaterConservation Commission. Line item 2 reflects the seventh year of loan repayments from Groundwater users for purchase of the water rights at Pristine Springs. This budget then transfers those money to the Aquifer Planning and Management Fund for aquifer monitoring, measurement, and modeling. Line item 3 shifts funding for the last remaining position funded with dedicated funds, in the Northern Idaho Adjudication, to the General Fund. Line item 4 funds five positions, including one vacant unfunded FTP, to support the surface water settlement agreement. Line item 5 provides $5,000 ongoing for the Bear River Commission Assessment. Line item 6 provides funding for one technical hydrogeologist needed in Coeur d'Alene. Line item 8 provides funding for two positions to work on water right licensing backlogs. Line item 11 includes $5 million ongoing from the General Fund and $2.5 million one-time from the Economic Recovery Reserve Fund for water recharge and aquifer stabilization projects as resolved in SCR 136 and SCR 137. Those moneys are then transferred to the Secondary Aquifer Planning, Management, and Implementation Fund. Overall, the budget adds funding for eight positions: one in Coeur d'Alene, two in Idaho Falls, one in Twin Falls, three at