HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 2473

BYRepresentatives Rayburn, Smith, Nealey, Chandler, Baugher, Prince and Kirby

Revising provisions for the subdivision of land that is in whole or in part within an irrigation district and that has been previously platted by the United States.

House Committe on Agriculture & Rural Development

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  (11)

      Signed by Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Kremen, Vice Chair; Nealey, Ranking Republican Member; Baugher, Chandler, Doty, Grant, Kirby, McLean, Rasmussen and Youngsman.

House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786- 7105)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 12, 1990

BACKGROUND:

State law prohibits the legislative authority of a city, town, or county from approving a short plat or plat for a division of land that lies, in whole or in part, within an irrigation district unless irrigation water rights of way are provided for each parcel in the division.  The installation of irrigation water distribution facilities may also be required in certain instances.

Various provisions of the state's irrigation district laws provide procedures and policies for districts containing 200,000 acres of land or more that are different than those provided for smaller districts.

SUMMARY:

The legislative authority of a city, town, or county may not approve a plat or short plat for a division of land that is in an irrigation district of 200,000 acres or more if the land has been previously platted by the United States as a farm unit in the district unless the division is approved by the irrigation district and the administrator of the Bureau of Reclamation project within which the district lies.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Ted Osborn and Earl Twilliger, East Columbia Basin Irrigation District; and Jim Trull, Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (1) If the subdivision creates a drainage problem, the Bureau of Reclamation will not correct it nor is it the irrigation district's responsibility.  The large irrigation districts are not designed to deliver water to small units.  Uninformed buyers of subdivided land find themselves with both water supply and drainage problems.  (2) The districts should be informed about proposed subdivisions and should have a say in whether they are approved.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.