Water rights adjudication underway in Kootenai River Basin

BONNERS FERRY — The Idaho Department of Water Resources has mailed approximately 5,500 commencement notices to property owners in the far northeast corner of Idaho as part of the Kootenai River Basin Adjudication process.

The notices were mailed Aug. 14 to property owners within IDWR Administrative Basin 98, which includes the Kootenai River Basin and its tributaries, as well as the Moyie River Basin and its tributaries.

On March 6, 2026, Fifth Judicial District Judge Eric Wildman issued an order commencing a general adjudication of water rights within the Kootenai River Basin water system. The adjudication is intended to create a complete inventory of all water rights within the basin. Water users have until June 4, 2027, to file claims.

To assist with the process, IDWR will host claims-taking and information workshops Sept. 22-24 at the Valley Event Center at the Boundary County Fairgrounds. Workshops will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day and will provide assistance with filing claims and answering questions.

After claims are filed, IDWR officials will review them and submit recommendations to the court. The court will then review those recommendations and issue final decrees confirming the elements of water rights throughout the Kootenai River Basin, including both surface water and groundwater sources.

A Notice of Claim is required for all water uses. However, owners of small domestic and stock water rights may either file now or defer filing until later in the process. IDWR recommends filing those claims now to save time and expense. A one-time filing fee of $25 applies to domestic and stock water rights.

Individual property owners who do not own the water right being used are not required to file claims. Likewise, customers who receive water through cities, irrigation districts, utility districts or water companies generally do not need to file claims because the organizations holding legal title to those water rights typically file on behalf of their customers.

Claim fees for uses other than small domestic or stock water rights vary depending on the type and extent of water use.

Claims must be filed using forms provided by IDWR or through the department’s online filing system. Individuals filing at an IDWR regional office should bring a legal property description, including township, range, section and quarter-quarter information, or a county parcel number.

Assistance is available by appointment through the Northern Region Office in Coeur d’Alene and the IDWR State Office in Boise.

For additional information, contact Water Rights Supervisor Evan Roda at 208-762-2800.