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Water Pipeline Sought For Distant Developments In Idaho

Posted by: Nate Berg

17 July 2007 - 9:00am

A proposal for a water pipeline to bring water to distant developments in Idaho highlights the history of water being diverted farther and farther from its source to feed growth.

"Developers are pondering a 50-mile pipeline to carry water from the Snake River to future subdivisions in the desert south and east of Boise."

"For years in Idaho water has run up from aquifers through irrigation pipelines onto crops and into homes, farms, cities and industries. It ran up high plateaus overlooking the Snake River thanks to high-powered pumps and cheap power. But now, nearly all the water is spoken for and — in some cases, under dispute."

"That has made the state's fundamental resource more valuable economically, and subject to the free market. Now Idaho's water may run uphill over mountains to the cities where the state's money, power and populations are centered."

"Idaho Department of Water Resources Director David Tuthill said the pipeline proposal fits into the state's vision for changing water use. Cities such as Los Angeles, Denver and Las Vegas have reached out beyond their watersheds to tap into agricultural water supplies. It was just a matter of time before the idea came to Idaho, Tuthill said."

Full Story: Idaho water destined for urban needs
Source: The Idaho Statesman, July 15, 2007
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What the Census will not include is the long-form questions that have, since 1940, asked one-sixth of American households to reveal fine details about their lives. The long form was scrapped following the 2000 Census, so planners who are accustomed to relying on detailed, nuanced Census data to analyze and plan their communities may not get the detail that they expect.
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