This page provides a general explanation of procedures used in administrative hearings conducted by the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
Public hearings provide for the participation of all interested parties.
In contested case hearings, however, only designated parties can participate in the hearing as full parties. Public hearings and contested case hearings are generally conducted by a hearing officer who has been appointed by the Director of the department. The hearing officer, however, can consider only certain criteria which has been established by law in contested matters, even though there may be other matters of concern to parties. The hearing officer has an obligation to create an orderly hearing record while at the same time providing full opportunity to the parties to be heard. In a contested case hearing, parties may represent themselves or may choose to be represented by legal counsel.