53 ' 



activities are not prevented by the state of Idaho, availability of water, and have the 

 cooperation of Idaho Power. Attempts to provide water in 1992 were less 

 successful, in part due to drought conditions, but also because of the risks faced by 

 Water District storage holders when making their water available for out-of-district 

 uses. In 1993, water was provided both through rental from the Idaho water banks 

 (100 kaf) and as a result of the Bureau of Reclamation making water available from 

 uncontracted storage (200 kaf) and any water it had reserved to maintain powerhead 

 (140 kaf) at upriver storage reservoirs. 



However, institutional, cultural, and physical barriers to delivering water for flow 

 augmentation from the Snake River are substantial. Activity in this arena has served 

 to focus attention on the problems and potential solutions, and has resulted in Idaho 

 legislation authorizing the use of rental bank water for flow augmentation through 

 the 1994 water year The legislation subjects out-of-district water acquisitions to 

 numerous conditions and, ultimately, to the approval of the Director of the Idaho 

 Department of Water Resources (IDWR). It also stipulates that these types of 

 water uses are on a test basis, and, presumably IDWR will determine their success 

 and benefits to the State of Idaho. It is unclear whether Idaho will allow water to be 

 provided past 1994. Additionally, due to last-to-refill restrictions placed on water 

 supplied in 1993, there is a significant risk that some or all of the volumes supplied 

 in 1993 will not be available in 1994. 



Uncertainties surrounding both water supply and the polnl environment have 

 precluded the delivery of a predictable volume of waterfrom the Snake River above 

 Brownlee Reservoir. We have learned that in most water years, there is not only 

 water available, but there are also water right holders willing to market that water to 

 out-of-state interests. While we expea a continuation of the current convoluted 



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