The MHAFB currently relies on groundwater for its water supply, but diverts its water from a critical declining aquifer. The IWRB is developing a water inlet, pump station and transmission pipeline to bring Snake River water from CJ Strike Reservoir to MHAFB. The Department of the Air Force is constructing a water treatment facility to receive the surface water supplied by the State of Idaho.
In 2014, with support from the Governor and Idaho State Legislature, IWRB purchased senior Snake River water rights from the Simplot Corporation to provide a water supply to the MHAFB. The IWRB will retain the water rights and enter into a water utility service agreement with MHAFB for the delivery of the municipal water.
The IWRB will undertake the financing, design, construction, and maintenance methods to bring the project to fruition. House Bill 769, passed by the 2022 Idaho Legislature, appropriated $100,000,000 from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Funds to support this project. The Governor’s office, the State Legislature, and the IWRB recognize and are committed to supporting the MHFAB as a $1 Billion annual economic generator in the local Idaho economy.
