Water Pipeline Sought For Distant Developments In Idaho

"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."