Opinion ID: 874314
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Substantial Basis

Text: Thompson Creek also argues that the Director's decision to create WD170 was not supported by substantial evidence in the record. Thompson Creek maintains that I.C. § 67-5279(3)(d), when read in conjunction with Thompson Creek's interpretation of I.C. § 42-604, requires that the Director must find a water district absolutely necessary for proper administration of the water resource before he may create a district. In addition to disagreeing with Thompson Creek's interpretation of I.C. § 42-604, the Director points to the amended final order, specifically the findings of facts and conclusions of law, as establishing that the decision to create WD170 was supported by substantial evidence. Having already rejected Thompson Creek's proposed interpretation of § 42-604, it is clear that the Director's order rested upon substantial evidence in the record. Idaho Code § 67-5279(3)(d) requires that the agency order be upheld by a reviewing court unless that order is not supported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole. Substantial evidence is relevant evidence that a reasonable mind might accept to support a conclusion. Pearl v. Bd. of Prof'l Discipline of Idaho State Bd. of Med., 137 Idaho 107, 112, 44 P.3d 1162, 1167 (2002). Substantial evidence is more than a scintilla of proof, but less than a preponderance. Id. In the amended final order the Director provides findings of fact and conclusions of law that provide substantial evidence supporting his decision to create WD170. Specifically, the amended final order finds that existing water districts within the area of WD170 did not enforce surface water right limitations outside of the irrigation season, nor did any of the existing water districts regulate diversions of ground water. Further, there were no existing water districts within much of the area to be included in WD170. The amended final order provides substantial evidence supporting the Director's decision to create WD170. As we noted above, I.C. § 42-604 provides the Director of IDWR with broad discretion in the establishment and modification of water districts, in accordance with his duty to manage the distribution of the water resource. The Director has shown substantial evidence supporting his decision to establish the district, therefore, we find that the Director of IDWR fully complied with statutory standards in creating WD170.