202905 NOTICE OF MITIGATION PLAN SUBMITTED BY BIG LOST RIVER GROUND WATER DISTRICT IN RESPONSE TO THE SURFACE WATER COALITION WATER DELIVERY CALL Notice is hereby given that on September 24, 2025, Big Lost River Ground Water District ("BLRGWD"), through their counsel, Robert Harris, PO Box 50130, Idaho Falls, ID 83405, submitted the Big Lost River Ground Water District's CM Rule 43 Mitigation Plan ("BLRGWD Plan") to the Idaho Department of Water Resources ("Department"). The BLRGWD Plan is intended to satisfy BLRGWD's mitigation obligation for the Surface Water Coalition ("SWC") Water Delivery Call administered by the Department and watermasters of state water districts who administer ground water rights within the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer ("ESPA"). The SWC consists of irrigation water delivery entities with senior surface water rights diverted from the Snake River above Milner Dam. The SWC members include A&B Irrigation District, American Falls Reservoir District 2, Burley Irrigation District, Milner Irrigation District, Minidoka Irrigation District, North Side Canal Company, and Twin Falls Canal Company. Patrons of BLRGWD divert ground water from wells primarily for agricultural irrigation within the Big Lost River basin and hold ground water rights within the ESPA that are junior in priority to the SWC's senior priority Snake River water rights. BLRGWD proposes two ways to mitigate injury to the SWC members: (1) reducing district groundwater diversions by 11.4%, and (2) paying the SWC $50,000 every April 1st, to be used by the SWC for the leasing of storage water for as long as the BLRGWD Plan is in effect. BLRGWD Plan, at 5 - 6. The proposed pumping reductions within the plan are intended to be structurally consistent with those found in the approved mitigation plan under Department Docket No. CM-MP-2024-003, which was also developed in relation to the SWC Water Delivery Call. See Id. at 4. The 11.4% reflects "the average pumping reduction required of signatory ground water districts" in the CM-MP-2024-003 plan. Id. at 5. BLRGWD intends to use district ground water diversion amounts from 2013 - 2015 as its calculated baseline for reduction. Id. Currently, under the proposed plan, BLRGWD's annual reduction obligation would be 9,039 acre-feet. Id. As additional water users join BLRGWD, the baseline data and reduction obligation will be updated each year. Id. at 6. The Department will process the BLRGWD Plan under the Department's Conjunctive Management Rules (IDAPA 37.03.11). A complete copy of the BLRGWD Plan is available for review at the following website link: https://idwr.idaho.gov/legal-actions/mitigation-plan-actions/SWC/blrgwd/. This notice does not represent analysis or approval of the proposed plan by the Department. Protests against approval of the BLRGWD Plan must be filed with the Department, together with a protest fee of $25, on or before November 10, 2025. Rule 53 of the Department's Rules of Procedure (IDAPA 37.01.01.053) outlines how documents may be filed with the Department and when they are considered filed. A copy of the Rules of Procedure may be obtained at the following website link: https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/37/370101.pdf. The protest must include a certificate of service showing that a copy of the protest has been mailed or delivered personally to counsel for BLRGWD. Mathew Weaver, Director Published in the Idaho Statesman, Mountain Home News, Idaho Mountain Express, Post Register & Idaho State Journal on October 22nd & 29th, 2025; Times News, Arco Advertiser & Lewiston Tribune on October 23rd & 30th, 2025; and Rexburg Standard Journal on October 24th & 31st, 2025.