Comments on: Growthophobes Fear Well Water Loss

By: Kacy

Kacy — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:04:14 +0000

I’m a current 5 acre owner in the area potentially impacted by Dry Creek Development. In our case, well water is the only source for drinking, household use, and irrigation of less than half of our 5 acres. I’m not afraid of growth or planned developments, I just want the water rights I have had to pay for and maintain to be protected. If my well which has been consistently producing for over 30 years suddenly goes dry, I am left without the ability to sustain life on my property… Not cattle, not 5 acres of pastures, my life and my children’s. Just another perspective to add to the discussion.

By: dog

dog — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:27:03 +0000

Hey Lib.Redneck, make sure they will let you park that sweet elecric ride in the front yard next to your broken down lifted gas 4X4. I heard you can make a solar collector from empty beer cans. Will they have a problem with outdoor furniture? I’ll move there too as long as I can park the inlaw’s double wide on the property and chain the pit bull out front.

By: lib.redneck

lib.redneck — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:26:51 +0000

Build houses like the camper I lived in. Gray water storage tanks. Limited potable water. GPM gauges on the faucet and shower to keep and eye on usage. Gray water to flush the toilets. Xeriscaped yards. Passive Solar homes arranged to take advantage of our natural setting. Solar Panels and Wind Generators installed on homes but owned and operated by the HOA. I would support that community…I’d like to live in it. Hey developers! I want to buy a 2400 sq.ft. house but I want 1200 sq.ft. of it to be basement. Small footprint; more space for veggies and trees. Make sure my house can charge my lifted 4×4 electric truck.

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:16:20 +0000

I still shake my head when I think our water is owned by a foreign company. How did this happen. I bet they laugh all the way to there foreign banks.

By: osage54

osage54 — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:04:19 +0000

Wonk/Anti:
No one’s arguing for ranchettes but since you brought it up:
M3’s 6000 acres would translate to 1200 5-acre ranchettes, which would be allowed to irrigate a half acre under IDWR policy. There’s been a moratorium on new individual wells for irrigation for many years. So your 2-cow argument’s specious.

The company has land use entitlements to 7150 houses, 2 million square feet of commercial and 6 or 7 schools plus two golf courses.
Their request to IDWR is for up to 14 million gallons a day withdrawn from aquifer(s) which, as clippity notes, are unmapped.
There’s a reason the foothills were ranched (with water trucked in, BTW) not farmed.

By: Tom Anderson

Tom Anderson — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:58:33 +0000

Would somebody explain to me why anybody would be allowed to “…inject reclaimed water back into the aquifer…” (Aquaman)?

IF the reclaimed water was clean, you could reuse it instead of pulling more out of the aquifer, right?

If it wasn’t clean, wouldn’t you be intentionally contaminating the aquifer?

By: 3Dog

3Dog — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:24:59 +0000

The issue isn’t master planned communities versus 5 acre ranchettes. It’s being a good steward of the resources and not over-allocating water in the desert. Eastern Snake River Aquifer anyone? What short memories we have. Or just Google the water battles and shortages in Georgia/Florida/Alabama and/or Southern California. No need to reinvent the waterwheel – we can learn from their mistakes. That’s not being a growth-o-phobe but smartly planning ahead. Sure wish the financial markets had done that…

By: Clippityclop

Clippityclop — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:01:20 +0000

Carey,

Dry Creek Ranch has offered to reduce their number of planned homes from 4300 to a little more than 3300. M3 is much larger than 4000. All told, the number of planned dwellings cumulatively for PCs in the North Ada County foothills is in the tens of thousands. Quite a gamble with an unknown carrying capacity of the aquifer. There is absolutely zero rush to develop as the existing housing stock continues to rise with foreclosures/short sales and will likely continue to do so for years. This would be an EXCELLENT time to complete the aquifer study, begun by IDWR and funded by the legislature last year, BEFORE the County grants entitlements or at least until we all know what’s what. There is simply too much as stake. Once again, IDWR, let’s not create another adjudication fiasco. In the words of the departed Duke, “Whiskey’s for drinking, water’s for fighting.” This is not a pretty picture.

By: Carey_Act

Carey_Act — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:11:12 +0000

Clippity-

After perusing the M3 Eagle and Dry Creek Ranch water rights applications, I stand somewhat corrected. Both applications are for “municipal purposes” which allows a speculative element, in that water can be claimed for future anticipated needs. Dry Creek is anticipating 1400 homes and M3 Eagle over 4000. I don’t disagree that the main purpose in securing the water rights is to make it easier for the current owners to unload the property. It is interesting that the applicants assert that PC’s meet all the requirements of a municipality under Idaho law.

It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to realize the aquifers of the north Ada desert are in equilibrium. Any new, substantial withdrawals will show up as depletions somewhere else. The IDWR hearing officer will indeed have his/her hands full on this one.

By: Aqua-Man

Aqua-Man — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:41:16 +0000

The thought of water shortages strikes fear into the heart of people. Before we all jump to the conclusion that master planned communities will suck all the water out of the valley, we all need to get a little more educated on the multiple aquifers in the area. Look at whether or not they are connected or independent. The wells do indeed need to be monitored and any changes need to be discussed by all the parties involved. There are a couple of really smart guys over at BSU that know the geology and hydrology of the region.

We also need to look at ourselves and our own water sucking consumption.

Avimor boasts that their homes and landscapes will use 30-60% less water than equivalent sized homes in the city. They also have a site where it may be possible to inject reclaimed water back into the aquifer. Similar solutions should be looked at for those of us living in the valley.