East Idaho Times

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson announced the inclusion of $3,853,430 in funding for the Idaho Water Center Project in Boise. This allocation is part of the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, secured through Community Project Funding (CPF) at his request.

“In Idaho, we know how valuable water is to our economy and way of life,” said Rep. Simpson. “However, to ensure future generations can adequately address agricultural, urban, and rural water needs, we must invest in critical infrastructure. This funding will support the Idaho Water Center, equipping it to gather vital water quantity and quality data for future water use. I am proud to partner with the University of Idaho in supporting this timely and much-needed project.”

Dr. Christopher Nomura, Vice President for Research and Economic Development at the University of Idaho, expressed gratitude for the support: “We are thankful for the support from Congressman Simpson for the expanded development of the Idaho Water Center in Boise. With this investment, we will centralize and collate valuable data from the state and over 70 University of Idaho researchers located across Idaho who are focused on solving water issues. This information will help legislators, agencies and developers better plan for and manage this precious Idaho resource.”

The funding aims to develop a comprehensive data collection center in Boise by upgrading infrastructure and equipment at the Idaho Water Center. The enhanced facility will be managed by University of Idaho researchers to address issues such as flooding, stream erosion through agricultural land and urban areas, river infrastructure assessment, fish habitat evaluation, groundwater-surface water interactions for availability analysis, and sediment management in reservoirs affecting power generation capacity.

Despite criticisms labeling CPF projects as "wasteful earmarks," proponents argue that these funds allow Members of Congress like Rep. Simpson to allocate federal dollars back into local priorities within budget limits. They emphasize that such projects meet clear community needs with broad support.

As Idaho’s sole appropriator on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Simpson has a significant role in ensuring that federal tax dollars benefit local projects.

The inclusion of funding for the Idaho Water Center Project has been approved by the House Appropriations Committee as part of broader fiscal legislation.