Opinion ID: 1135493
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: installation of a measuring device

Text: The Director, in granting Hardy's amended water permits, ordered that the amount of water authorized to be diverted at the new point of diversion was not to exceed the amount of water available for diversion at the new point of diversion less the required 75 c.f.s. bypass flow. To implement this order, the Director required Hardy to submit plans for a headgate, measuring device and controlling works to be approved by the IDWR prior to construction of Hardy's project. The Director also required that the plans include a means of assuring that the 75 c.f.s. bypass flow can be maintained at all times. Hardy argues that because Box Canyon is not an adjudicated stream and, as such, there is no watermaster to control distributions from the stream, there is no need to require Hardy to install a measuring device beyond that required by the BLM for the 75 c.f.s. bypass flow. However, the BLM's interest is in how much water is maintained past the point of diversion. The state's interest is in how much water goes into the proposed diversion, and as stated earlier, the state has no interest in the agreement between BLM and Hardy. Therefore, so long as the Director's actions are within his authority, the condition will be found to be appropriate. In this case, I.C. § 42-701 states that [t]he appropriators or users of any public waters of the state of Idaho shall maintain to the satisfaction of the department of water resources suitable headgates and controlling works at the point where the water is diverted.... I.C. § 42-701 clearly authorizes the Director to require that Hardy maintain a measuring device. Accordingly, we uphold this condition.