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Irriaators Question Water Law ChangesST. ANTHONY lt;AP)—Irrigators from Fremont, Madison, and Teton counties opposed any attempt to change Idaho water laws Wednesday afternoon at a hearing on the state water plan.The 50 farmers attending expressed fears that changes would lead to a loss ot their water rights.One of the most critical was state Rep. Wayne Tibbitts, IWtigby, who compared the water plan to land use planning. Both wouldallow people who have no ownership in land orwater rights to decide what is going to happen, he said.“Any amendment of the water laws would most likely be in the direction of less water rights fur us farmers,” Tibbitts said.Willis Walker, chairman of the Fremom-Madison Irrigation District said the water plan was first started out of a fear of Idaho water being diverted to California.“Now we in this area are afraid the water will be diverted to Southwest Idaho if they want water, let them take it past Milner Dam and leave our rights alone,” Waiker said.Don Marotz of the Fremont County Farm Bureau supported water planning, but objected to the wording requiring considerationof the public interest in allocating water.Noting that farmers make up only a small percentage of the population, Marob said, 'irrigators as a whole would nol like to compete with the public interest for each water application,”Kenneth E. Hacking of the Madison County Farm Bureau said, “We farmers are proud of our Idaho streams arid mountains. We don’t want to be the enemy of conservationists. What we need is to work together to maintain the quality of life we have in this area.”
Newspaper Details
Idaho State Journal
Pocatello, Idaho, US
Thu, May 06, 1976
Page 27
Full Page
Clipped by
New M.
NM, USA 26 Nov 2019
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