Idaho farmers are speaking out about the state’s unreasonable and disastrous water curtailment orders that threaten their very existence. The Idaho Department of Water Resources has issued a sweeping curtailment order affecting tens of millions of acres of farmland across the state. The state is threatening independent farmers with $300 fines per acre for watering their crops with their own wells.

This move comes at a time when water resources are stable across the state, so there appears to be a deliberate move to sabotage independent farmers, while artificially causing water shortages that will takedown hay, potato and dairy farms across the state. These outrageous curtailment orders will upend the livelihoods of countless farmers — a move that will have a ripple effect through Idaho’s economy and push food prices higher across the United States.

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This is an engineered famine, and state leaders must act to stop the sabotage.

Local farmers threatened with water shutoff across 500,000 acres

Christopher, a local farmer, spoke about the issue in a viral new video.

“They want us to shut our water off,” he exclaims, detailing how this mandate affects not just his farm, but potentially 500,000 acres of farmland statewide.

Christopher’s farms typically depend on surface water, but they also use three of their eight wells on a yearly basis. He detailed how farmers efficiently use the wells, even in times of drought. In 2021, precipitation levels were low across Idaho and farmers were unable to return a surplus of water back to the aquifer. Since then, water levels have bounced back, but it hasn’t stopped the Twin Falls Canal Company and the Department of Water Resources from taking action to limit what the farmers can use in the future.

Farmers who do not comply with the curtailment will be fined $300 per acre. This would be disastrous for hay farms, causing them to shut down almost immediately. The loss of hay will harm dairy farms across the state, driving up prices for animal feed. The potato farmers might be able to afford the fines at first, but the curtailment will eventually cripple their farm’s productivity and efficiency, leading to inevitable shutdowns over the next decade. The ripple effects will be felt from maintenance teams, to truckers, to feed storage businesses.

Water wars in Idaho threaten farms, driving up the price of food across the U.S.

The crisis stems from an agreement struck in 2015 between the Twin Falls Canal Company and groundwater users. This agreement, designed to manage water usage in the face of dwindling resources, has now come to a head. Due to a shortfall of 74,000 acre-feet of water in 2021, exacerbated by a severe drought, the Canal Company has invoked its senior water rights, forcing junior water rights holders — like Christopher and his fellow farmers — to bear the brunt of the shortage.

The ramifications are staggering. In Bingham County, an area known for its prolific potato production, nearly 150,000 acres are slated for curtailment. Bingham county alone could lose up to $400 million in resources. This move not only jeopardizes Idaho’s status as a top producer of potatoes but also threatens the entire agricultural supply chain.

“It’s not just localized,” Christopher warns, “It will be felt nationally and globally,” leading to skyrocketing food prices and economic challenges if the curtailment persists.

Christopher points out that outdated infrastructure and mismanagement exacerbate the problem. The Twin Falls Canal Company, operating with century-old technology, wastes water supply that could otherwise alleviate future shortages. Instead of going along with an engineered shutdown and subsequent famine, Christopher and other farmers are banding together and calling for a complete modernization of the infrastructure, including the additions of diversions and checks that could optimize water usage. Christopher and the local farming community in Idaho are also calling for better leadership on the issue and asking Governor Brad Little to intervene.

“If there’s no farms, there’s no food,” Christopher warns.

Sources include:

X.com

Youtube.com