Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District

The Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District (NMID) is operated by a staff of water delivery professionals under the guidance and supervision of an elected three-member Board of Directors.

• Directors are elected to their positions by landowners in the District. The election is held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. For more information go to click here.
• Board of Directors meetings are scheduled to be held the first and third Tuesday of each month at the District Office, 1503 1^st Street South, Nampa, ID. Any changes to this schedule will be posted on our website and in the lobby of the District office. Meeting agendas can be found at here.

Yes, you can pay the full annual payment in one transaction. The payment is split for taxpayer convenience. Taxpayers can choose to pay either the first half or the full tax by 20 December. If they choose to pay just the first half, we will mail out a courtesy reminder statement in early May, which will be due no later than 20 June.

With automation, NMID is working to make paying your taxes more convenient. You have four ways to pay your bill:

1. Submit a check with the payment stub through the mail.
2. Submit your payment online (this option is only available if your taxes are current, taxpayers can choose to pay either the first half or the full tax by 20 December. If they choose to pay just the first half, we will mail out a courtesy reminder statement in early May, which will be due no later than 20 June).
3. Call the customer service line and pay with a credit card (a minimum of $2.00 fee will be charged by the credit card vendor).
4. Visit the NMID office to pay in person using a check, cash, or credit card.

This assessment is for the water right that has been allocated to your land. It is not based on your usage of the water; it is based on the size of your water right. These tax dollars help to pay for the operation and maintenance of the irrigation system, including the reservoirs, dams, canals, and laterals that carry the irrigation water from the river to the cities/towns/communities of the Treasure Valley.

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• Your account number is the Assessment number that is located in the top right hand corner of your tax notice.
• Contact NMID for assistance if you have trouble locating your assessment number.

• The property owner is ultimately responsible for paying the irrigation tax. Your mortgage company may or may not pay them but, as the homeowner, you should make sure the taxes have been paid.
• If your HOA charges you for irrigation, they may be charging you for the irrigation of the subdivision common areas. You will need to contact your HOA to get an explanation of what they are charging you for.

• When a check is sent back to a patron there is always a letter or statement attached. Types of letters NMID will send back include:
  • If the assessment is already paid
  • If the check was not signed
  • If the check did not have a written amount on it
  • If there is an overpayment on the account. The District cannot keep a credit on the account.
• The District will send a check back with a statement if it was paid past the due date and could not be applied to your assessment due to penalty and interest that has accrued, as we cannot accept partial payment.

The irrigation assessment is based on the water right and proportional cost to maintain the water delivery system – not the water usage. For this reason, we also do not charge additional if the season goes longer than normal.

Yes. This method is commonly known as an exclusion. This option is only available to lands that do not have access to the irrigation water. Contact NMID to determine whether or not an exclusion is available for the lands you own or are purchasing and, if applicable, request an exclusion petition. Exclusion Paperwork comes on colored paper and has to be signed by all deeded owners and sent back with the exclusion fee paid. It will then be presented to the Board of Directors for their review and approval.

The Irrigation District levies against all lands in the District in the fall of each year. Payment of the 1^st half tax is due by 20 December of the year of assessment, and payment of the 2^nd half is due by 20 June of the subsequent year.

Idaho Law requires land owners to pay irrigation taxes just as you are required to pay property taxes. If you do not pay your assessment, Idaho State Law provides that the unpaid assessment becomes a lien on your property or, in some limited circumstances, remove NMID’s water right from the land. To avoid the potential loss of title to the property or NMID’s water right, the landowner must pay all unpaid liens and assessments (including penalties and interest).

NMID holds a Tax Deed Sale annually. The purchaser of a tax deed holds all rights and title that NMID acquired through assessment and delinquency proceedings. Once the sale is made and a deed of sale is delivered to the purchaser, any further action is between the landowner and the purchaser, not the landowner and NMID.

Your neighbor may pay less if their property size is smaller than your property or they have a smaller water right. The levy is based on the water right which is proportionate to the size of the property. We assess to the middle of the road; therefore, corner lots may have a slightly higher assessment.

NMID works with Title companies to identify ownership changes, however, it is the landowner’s responsibility to notify NMID of changes in ownership. NMID tax notices are mailed to the name and address of the last known landowner.  NMID requires a copy of a recorded deed in order to change the name of the deeded owner.  You can help ensure that your tax payment is credited correctly by 1) reviewing the land parcel # included on your assessment, and 2) including the payment stub with your payment if sent by mail.

NMID owns, operates and maintains a large system of drains to prevent land within its boundaries from becoming inundated or “waterlogged” by seepage from canals and irrigated fields. Drainage removes excess water, which helps to maintain the usefulness of land in NMID for farming, residential, and other uses.

If your assessment notice bills for “Project O&M”, this refers to the type of water right that has been apportioned to your property. Certain properties with this Project O&M or “Project Water Right” are levied in the spring and show on the notice as owing by 31 August. If this Project O&M is not paid by 31 August, it is not considered delinquent. It will roll into the fall levy and be included in your normal assessment notice that you receive in late October/early November.

• Idaho laws let our District enter into a contract with a developer to construct a pressure urban irrigation system (PUIS) in new subdivisions. The system then becomes the property of the Irrigation District. We operate and maintain the system and all the water lines that bring water to the delivery valve at each individual lot.
• We do not operate or maintain private sprinkler systems in lawns and gardens. Boise, Caldwell, Meridian, and Nampa have ordinances that require these systems in new subdivisions. When you purchase a new home be certain to ask about the availability of irrigation water.

NMID owns several of the pressurized pump stations in our district, however, some are owned by the City and others are owned privately by the HOA of the subdivision.

Call the office at (208) 466-7861 during regular business hours or (208) 466-0663 after hours and leave a message. Your message will be retrieved every morning (including weekends) and we will alert a pump technician of the problem. Please do not contact the emergency dispatcher for non-flooding emergencies.

You can talk with the Water Master to see what they can do to ensure the water reaches all the way down the system. Maintenance is up to all of the users of a ditch to ensure proper water flow and distribution.

• Most low pressure problems can be attributed to overuse during peak watering times (2:00 am to 9:00 am). It is important to remember the pressure systems are designed to deliver only the amount of water dictated by the water right allocated to each property under that pump system. The District recommends the HOAs discuss watering schedules with their homeowners to help address overuse of the system.
• Homeowners may also have filters on their sprinkler system that should be checked regularly. These filters could become plugged with debris coming from canal water, adversely affecting pressure. Typical filters could include fine mesh screens in the sprinkler heads, or a tubular filter in the irrigation box. Using a soft bristle brush or a toothbrush on the filter should clean them. For the filters in the sprinkler heads, a coarser mesh filter may let some of the debris pass through to be expelled as the sprinklers are watering.

• The irrigation water is delivered through a canal system that is primarily dirt. As it runs through the mainly unlined system, it collects dirt and debris along the way. Although many of our systems have a filtration system installed to filter out smaller debris, not all of them do because the developer at the time of construction chose not to install a filtration system.

No. Canals, laterals, and drains are very dangerous and no one, adults, pets, and especially children, should play in or near them! The water is swift and very cold. Canal banks are slick and steep with nothing to grab a hold of. Most canals, laterals, and drains are constructed on privately owned land and walking along the canal banks is trespassing. NMID is the only authorized user of the canals, laterals, and drains.

Canals, laterals, and drains were constructed in the early 1900s to convey water from the Boise River to the agricultural lands in this valley. Homes have been built next to the irrigation facilities due to the expansion of towns and cities in the Treasure Valley. The canals, laterals, and drains must remain to convey water to the lands which are entitled to its use, many of which are located in and adjacent to or beyond the city.

• The Ridenbaugh Canal, laterals, and drains are owned by NMID. In addition, a strip of land along the sides of the canal, lateral, or drain is also a part of the right-of-way or easement area established for that canal, lateral, or drain. This strip of land is used by NMID to operate and maintain the canal, lateral, or drain. No encroachment or impact to District facilities (canals/laterals/drains) is allowed without written permission from the District per Idaho Code 42-1209. NMID does this in the form of a legal agreement. Private parties, including adjacent homeowners, should not drive, park vehicles, place material or structures, dig, or do anything else on this strip of property.
• Community or user ditches are owned by the individuals or water user’s associations using the ditch, and were created as a result of farm units being divided into multiple ownerships. It is the responsibility of the landowners or established lateral users association using these to operate and maintain them.

The water in canals has been appropriated from the state for private use, just like the drinking water supplied by a city. NMID can assist in determining which land has a valid water right and the designated point of delivery for the water. The water right held in trust by the Irrigation District is for use on the lands for which the water is designated, and is for irrigation only. Pumping directly from District facilities (canals/laterals/drains) is not allowed.

NMID is responsible for maintaining the flow of water in the District-owned canals, laterals, and drains within the District boundaries, with the exception of Indian Creek and the section of Five Mile Creek east of Overland Road. Any debris that is restricting the flow of water will be handled by the District to prevent flooding. This may be done by burning or mechanical means, providing the District has reasonable access to do so. Trees that fall outside of the waterway and on private property are the responsibility of the landowner.

Per Idaho Code 42-1102, NMID has the right to place debris taken from the canal within the right-of-way. Deposits of sediments and vegetation taken from the waterway will be smoothed out or “graded” after the material dries, but will be left there to be utilized by the District at a later, undetermined date. Trash and debris pulled from the waterways are typically hauled off by the District as time allows.

The right of way or easement areas of the waterways are typically the private property of the adjacent landowner. The easement areas allow for entry of District staff only. Anyone else entering this property without the permission of the landowner may be considered trespassers under Idaho Law and could be prosecuted.

Delivery of water to subdivision lots that retain NMID water rights but do not have a private delivery system can be restored by creating a Local Improvement District (LID) that enables NMID to construct, own, operate and maintain a pressurized urban irrigation system for the subdivision.

Water rights can be reapportioned to land from which they have been excluded through reinstatement, providing there is access to the water and there are water rights available.

The Boise River is the primary source of the water NMID delivers to land owners within its boundaries. NMID owns water rights that allow us to divert water directly from the river, plus receive water stored in Arrowrock and Anderson Ranch Reservoirs. NMID’s water rights have early priority dates which secure our water supply in times of shortage. These water rights enable NMID to deliver water during the irrigation season (generally mid-April through early-October depending on water supply) to irrigate lands within its boundaries. A portion of NMID’s water rights is dedicated to your land located in the District boundary.

The typical water season runs from mid-April to early-October. This is always subject to the availability of water. The season may vary depending on the amount of moisture received during the winter.

• For pressurized water, the pump stations run 24/7 during the water season unless they are down for repair or other reasons. You will need to check with your HOA for any watering schedule that may have been implemented.
• Non-Pressurized water (gravity flow delivery) is generally scheduled by the Water Master for the users along that particular “user” ditch. The Water Master is a private individual who is appointed by the water users or volunteers when there are 3 or more people receiving water from one head gate, this person is not an employee of the irrigation district.

• Call the office and ask to speak to Customer Service. They will provide you with the Water Master’s name and contact information. If you are unable to reach the Water Master, please contact the person who assisted you in obtaining this information and they will look into the issue.

For flooding emergencies during regular business hours contact our office at (208) 466-7861 or (208) 466-0663. After hours only call (208) 489-6345 to contact our emergency dispatcher. Again this is for flooding emergencies only. Lack of water is not an emergency.

Contact the district at 208.466.7861