South-central Idaho groundwater pumpers might have to start shutting off water pumps this week.
Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Gary Spackman on Saturday denied a request by groundwater pumpers to delay a water curtailment order.
The Times-News reports that the order includes 14 cities and about 157,000 acres of land.
Rangen Inc., a Hagerman-based fish farm and feed producer, has senior water rights but has not been getting its legal share of water due to groundwater pumping from the East Snake Plain Aquifer.
The Idaho Groundwater Appropriators told the state late Friday it couldn't meet a Sunday deadline to complete a pipeline to replace Rangen's water.
Rangen attorney Fritz Haemmerle says the next step in the process is for Spackman to start ordering water shutdowns.