42-1506. LEMHI RIVER — MINIMUM STREAM FLOW APPROPRIATION. (1) The water resource board is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate and hold in trust for the people of the state of Idaho a minimum stream flow water right in a designated reach of the Lemhi river in accordance with the provisions of this section. The minimum stream flow appropriation in the designated reach shall be in the amount of thirty-five (35) cfs from January 1 through December 31, provided that fifteen (15) cfs of the appropriation shall be subordinated to all diversions, including high waters or flood waters, authorized under the Lemhi river basin decree (Lemhi County Case No. 4948). The designated reach begins at water diversion L-6 located on the Lemhi river in the southeast quarter (1/4) of section twenty-four (24), township twenty-one (21) north, range twenty-two (22) east of the Boise meridian, and ends at the confluence of the Lemhi river with the Salmon river near the southwest corner of section thirty-two (32), township twenty-two (22) north, range twenty-two (22) east of the Boise meridian, Lemhi county.

(2) The water resource board shall appropriate the minimum stream flow water right authorized under this section in accordance with the provisions of section 42-1503, Idaho Code. In acting upon the application for permit, the director of the department of water resources need not determine that the appropriation is capable of being maintained based upon records of existing stream flows because it is anticipated that the water right will be maintained through operation of the water supply bank within the Lemhi river basin consistent with the provisions of section 42-1765A, Idaho Code.

(3) Upon the board’s filing of an application for permit to appropriate water as directed by this section, the director of the department of water resources is authorized and directed, on an interim basis pending final action on the application for permit, to distribute water under the filing in accordance with the doctrine of prior appropriation using a priority date as of the filing of the application for permit.

History:

[42-1506, added 2001, ch. 373, sec. 1, p. 1309.]