Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding the Lemhi Basin Comprehensive Settlement Agreement.

In 2020, the Idaho Legislature adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 137 (SCR 137). SCR 137 directed “the Idaho Water Resource Board, with technical support from the Idaho Department of Water Resources, to work expeditiously with local water users to develop a comprehensive settlement that resolves current tensions and conflict that are the result of competing water supply demands in the Lemhi River Basin and that the comprehensive settlement, to the best of the abilities of the participating parties and in the spirit of compromise and resolution, is consistent with past practices, future needs, and Idaho law.” SCR 137 further directed the Idaho Water Resource Board to report to the First Regular Session of the Sixty-sixth Idaho Legislature on the implementation of this resolution. In 2021, HCR 21 directed the Idaho Water Resource Board to continue its efforts in the Lemhi Basin and further report to Second Regular Session of the Sixty-sixth Idaho Legislature. In 2020, the Idaho Water Resource Board retained two mediators to facilitate discussions with the affected interests. On February 24, 2022, the affected water users and state agencies entered into the Lemhi Basin Comprehensive Settlement Agreement. As part of the Settlement Agreement, the participating parties agreed to seek enactment of this proposed legislation to provide for the filing of Lemhi Basin stream flow maintenance applications and minimum stream flow applications on selected designated streams. The participating parties jointly request the Idaho Legislature approve this legislation.