New wheat commissioner named
Cliff Tacke, Greencreek, has been appointed by Gov. Brad Little to serve as a commissioner with the Idaho Wheat Commission representing Idaho wheat farmers in District 2. Tacke replaces Bill Flory, of Winchester, who was appointed to the commission in 2010. Tacke has actively been involved in state organizational leadership roles for nearly two decades. He served as the director of the REA Electrical Co-op and as a member of both the Idaho County weed board and the Idaho County Soil and Water Conservation district board. Tacke was also a member of the Idaho Health Systems Agency for several years.
Tacke grew up in Greencreek, Idaho County, on a multigenerational family farm. He and his wife, Sue, owned and operated a diversified row crop operation in the Greencreek area where they grew wheat, barley, hay, mustard and, more recently, Kentucky bluegrass. Tacke is newly retired but still active in several farm activities. His son and daughter-in-law now have the reins and are carrying on the legacy of the Tacke farm.
District 2 includes the following counties: Adams, Boise, Clearwater, Gem, Idaho, Lewis, Nez Perce, Payette, Valley and Washington.
—Idaho Wheat Commission press release excerpt
New IDWR director named
Gov. Brad Little announced his appointment of Mathew Weaver as the new director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR).
Weaver replaces Gary Spackman, who is retiring after 14 years of dedicated service as IDWR director.
"I want to sincerely thank Gary Spackman for his dedicated, compassionate leadership. His expertise on water issues has been a true asset to the state of Idaho and regional water users," Little said. "I look forward to working with Mat Weaver, whose rich experience with the agency and love for the state will make him a great fit for this important post."
Weaver has served as the deputy director and the rules and regulation officer of IDWR for a decade. As deputy, he oversaw the department's water compliance bureau, technical services bureau and the Safety of Dams program. He previously worked for the agency as a staff engineer and technical engineer for five years. Weaver received his master's of science in hydrology from Boise State University and a bachelor's in civil engineering from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.
"I'm honored to be considered for the role of director. I can't think of many professional careers more rewarding than the one I've had at the Department of Water Resources," Weaver said. "I'm eager to continue to serve the citizens of Idaho by ensuring water is conserved and available for the sustainability of Idaho's economy, ecosystems and resulting quality of life."
—Office of the Governor press release excerpt
Water summit
Gov. Brad Little and other Idaho leaders are applauding the success of the first Water Summit of the governor's administration, which took place Aug. 7 in the Idaho capitol.
Little, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke and Idaho Water Resource Board Chairman Jeff Raybould gave the audience a strategic look into the status of the state’s precious water resources during the governor's Water Summit.
Meeting in front of a full house of approximately 250 people in the Idaho State Capitol Lincoln Auditorium, including numerous state legislators and hundreds online, Little and Bedke heard about many challenges facing the state’s groundwater resources where they are in decline. The Palouse Basin Aquifer, the Mountain Home Aquifer and the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) were all highlighted in that discussion.
Little noted that about $1 billion has been recommended and approved by the Idaho Legislature for water infrastructure projects since he took office. Through his “Leading Idaho” and “Idaho First” plans, the Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB) has received $450 million to modernize the state’s water infrastructure statewide through grants, loans and strategic investments in water sustainability projects.
The state’s historic investment in modern water infrastructure will help stretch water supplies with efficiency savings and water quality improvements, the governor said. Some funds are going to water projects that restore aquifer stability and provide for sustainable water use, Raybould noted.
On the positive side, the water supply in the state’s most populous region, the Treasure Valley, is stable, officials said. Lining six miles of the New York Canal utilizing local, state and federal funding is expected to save approximately 29,000 acre-feet of water per year – the equivalent of flooding 29,000 acres of land to the depth of 1 foot. Officials also heard about water conservation efforts in the Avimor community, north of Eagle, that are cutting residential water use in half.
Idaho also is a national leader in cloud seeding efforts that increase snowfall and mountain snowpack in the winter. Idaho’s Collaborative Cloud Seeding Program involving Idaho Power Co., IWRB and water users has added an average of 1.2 million acre-feet of water supply per year in the Upper Snake, Boise, Big Wood and Payette River basins, Idaho Power officials said.
Being among the fastest-growing states in America adds to the state’s water challenges, Raybould said. “Clearly, we’ve been discovered,” he said. “That creates even more challenges for us, especially with water supply and infrastructure. We need to make sure we conserve our water resources the best we can while operating within the bounds of the prior appropriation doctrine.”
Raybould refers to Idaho water law, which gives priority to water users who have the most senior rights or, first in time, first in right.
While tension between senior and junior users has been intense in places such as the Wood River Valley and the Eastern Snake Plain, the tone between water users was civil throughout the day at the governor's Water Summit. Case studies of water issues in Idaho communities showed that a broad diversity of water users are working together to solve problems.
More discussions and regional meetings may be held in the future to discuss water topics, Little said.
Overall, Little said the state’s water management should ensure:
- A sustainable water supply for urban and rural users
- Water quality is being improved on an ongoing basis
- Idaho’s sovereignty over its water resources is maintained at all times
