United States sues Idaho over federal water rights

The United States government has filed a lawsuit against the State of Idaho in the U.S. District Court of Idaho regarding water rights for the Idaho National Laboratory. The dispute centers on whether the Idaho Department of Water Resources has the authority to administer federal water rights under the state's system of prior appropriation.

The federal complaint follows a May 14 curtailment order from Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Mat Weaver, which required the U.S. Department of Energy to ‘cut water use to zero’ due to its water rights being junior to a 1900 priority date. The Department of Energy maintains its rights date back to April 7, 1950, and seeks 35,000 acre-feet per year according to the Snake River Basin Adjudication.

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice argue the order is invalid as applied to the United States and that the state lacks authority over federal rights. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador stated that the state's sovereign authority to administer water rights applies to all users, including the federal government, to protect the interests of Idaho farmers, ranchers, and families.