Water Rights Accounting Overview
The water rights accounting program is a set of computational tools that the watermaster uses to quantify natural flow available, natural flow use, and storage use on a daily, after-the-fact basis. The water rights accounting computes the natural flow available using streamflow, reservoir, and diversion measurements. Based on the natural flow available, the water rights accounting determines which water rights are in priority.
In Idaho, the following water districts use water rights accounting:
- Water District 01 – Upper Snake River
- Water District 11 – Bear River
- Water District 34 – Big Lost River
- Water District 63 – Boise River
- Water District 65 – Payette River & Tributes
Storage Program
The storage program is a separate program from the water rights accounting. There are individual storage programs for Upper Snake, Boise, and Payette reservoir systems. The purpose of the storage program is to allocate storage water to the individual spaceholders according to the federal contracts and USBR instructions. IDWR runs the storage program and USBR reviews and approves the output (storage report).
These online tools provide an open and transparent method for the public to examine surface water rights accounting data.
Water Rights Accounting Data
Choose sites of interest from the list, and then generate reports and graphs with daily values for flows, diversions, or reservoir contents.
Water Rights Accounting Map
Use the map to find sites of interest, and then generate reports and graphs with daily values for flows, diversions, or reservoir contents.
Water Rights Accounting
For more information about water rights accounting, contact:
Matt Anders
Idaho Department of Water Resources
322 East Front St
PO Box 83720
Boise ID 83720
Phone: (208) 287-4800
Fax: (208) 287-6700
Email: matthew.anders@idwr-webdev.idaho.gov
Water Districts
For more information about a water district, contact the water district watermaster or staff: