East Idaho Times

U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee, addressed the importance of Western water conservation during a subcommittee hearing in Washington today. He introduced a bill aimed at correcting the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) red tape and misinterpretation of current water law.

“Obviously, water is an incredibly important issue in the Western states. Our friends east of the Mississippi don’t have a really good grasp on how important water is to us out West...Western water issues are localized and nuanced – one-size-fits-all models really don’t work,” said Risch. “Precious time and resources go into water supply management efforts. Solutions to problems need to be tailored by the people who truly understand the needs on the ground, with support from federal partners—if and only if—their involvement is appropriate. Idaho is a good example of state leadership in water management.”

The hearing considered S. 4999, legislation introduced by Risch that follows a bill led by him and Representative Russ Fulcher during the 116th Congress, which became law in 2020. The previous bill was intended to ease restrictions to allow for aquifer recharge through federal lands and facilities, but BLM’s misinterpretation of the law has severely limited aquifer recharge as an effective water conservation tool across the West.