Idaho Buying Trout Farm in Water Battle

Officials of Idaho Ground Water Appropriators Inc. say they have a contract to purchase the Rangen trout farm in Hagerman. The purchase would put to rest a long-running water battle with Rangen while providing groundwater irrigators a pathway toward resolving other water conflicts in the valley. IGWA attorney T.J. Budge said the sale hasn’t closed, as the parties are still “working through the due diligence.” The purchase price is confidential, Budge said. The property includes about 60 acres, three homes, raceways, a fish hatch house and greenhouse and a research building.