Water Supply Bank
The Idaho Water Resource Board operates an innovative water exchange market known as the Idaho Water Supply Bank that allows water users who are not using their water rights to make them available to use by others on a temporary basis. In addition to providing a valuable tool to meet temporary water needs, the Bank serves as a protection for unused water rights which are exempt from forfeiture while in the Bank.
The Board has also authorized several Rental Pools which enable owners of water stored in certain reservoirs to rent surplus storage to others. Unlike the Water Supply Bank, Rental Pools are regulated by a local committee empowered to create its own rules. These rules can be complex and arcane, but provide an important avenue for meeting dynamic water demands.
Racine Olson has extensive experience with both the Water Supply Bank and various Rental Pools, especially the Water District 01 Rental Pool which governs the vast Upper Snake River Basin reservoir system which includes Jackson Lake, Palisades Reservoir, American Falls Reservoir, and several others.