Mitigation plans · Order 2024-08-30

ESPA curtailment mitigation

The August 2024 curtailment order affected ~6,400 wells across the Eastern Snake Plain. Mitigation plans protect groundwater pumpers by securing replacement water for senior surface users.

Order details

Active mitigation plans

Replacement water secured

982K AF

86% of required

In breach

needs cure

No plan filed

curtailment in effect

Plan pipeline

Where each plan stands

A plan moves through filing, IDWR review, approval, and an annual compliance check. Returned plans must be re-filed; breached plans get a 60-day cure window before re-curtailment.

In breach

Returned

Required

In review

Filed

Approved

Active

Expired

All mitigation plans

14 plans tied to Order 2024-08-30. Sorted by required replacement volume.

ID	Holder	Type	Affected PODs	Required AF	Secured AF	Status
MP-2024-0001	Bingham GWD Bingham GWD	Groundwater District	1,054	245,000	245,000	Active
MP-2024-0002	North Snake GWD North Snake GWD	Groundwater District	1,029	230,000	218,500	Active
MP-2024-0003	Aberdeen-American Falls GWD Aberdeen AF GWD	Groundwater District	820	178,000	178,000	Active
MP-2024-0004	Magic Valley GWD Magic Valley GWD	Groundwater District	614	142,000	121,000	In breach
MP-2024-0005	Bonneville-Jefferson GWD Bonneville-Jefferson GWD	Groundwater District	391	88,000	88,000	Active
MP-2024-0012	Galena GWD Galena GWD	Groundwater District	348	71,000	0	Required
MP-2024-0006	A&B Irrigation District A&B Irrigation District	Irrigation Company	202	60,000	60,000	Active
MP-2024-0007	South Valley GWD South Valley GWD	Groundwater District	185	38,000	0	In review
MP-2024-0008	Madison GWD Water District 100 Madison GWD	Groundwater District	164	32,000	32,000	Active
MP-2024-0009	Henrys Fork GWD Water District 100 Henrys Fork GWD	Groundwater District	121	28,000	28,000	Active
MP-2024-0011	Bancroft-Lund GWMA Bancroft-Lund GWMA (13T)	Groundwater District	77	19,000	0	Returned
MP-2024-0013	IDWR Water Bank lease Bingham GWD	Individual	38	9,500	9,500	Approved
MP-2024-0010	Carey Valley GWD Carey Valley GWD	Groundwater District	21	5,500	0	Filed
MP-2024-0014	Producers Irrigation Company Producers Irrigation Company	Irrigation Company	10	2,400	2,400	Expired

Idaho's biggest water story

August 30, 2024: ESPA curtailment

In response to a 2015 SWC settlement breach, IDWR issued a curtailment order shutting off ~6,400 ESPA-area junior groundwater rights. Within hours, holders began filing mitigation plans — the legal mechanism that lets a junior pumper continue pumping if they can demonstrate firm replacement water for the senior surface user. By November, the major GWDs had approved plans and pumping resumed. WMIS NextGen tracks every plan, every annual review, and every breach in one place — so leadership always knows who's protected and who isn't.