IWUA is an organization of water users devoted to the conservation, protection and reasonable utilization of Idaho's water resources. To that end, IWUA supports the following principles and objectives.

Compliance with State law by all users and claimants in the administration of water rights by supporting:
• Federal deference;

• Interstate compacts;

• Legislation or any other action to protect Idaho waters for use in Idaho;

• Language protecting state sovereignty in any wilderness, wild and scenic river, roadless area, national monument, or any other federal property designation proposed for Idaho;

• Legislative amendments to the Federal Power Act to insure that FERC not license hydropower projects unless the applicant has obtained or is able to obtain states water rights; and

• Definition of aquifer recharge as a beneficial use.

A McCarran Act Adjudication of the Snake River Basin and other Idaho river basins including Winters Doctrine and Federal Reserved Rights to:

• Protect all valid existing uses as perfected property rights;

• Provide quantified data as to future water use and development of Idaho’s unappropriated waters;

• Reasonably determine the quantity and use of reserved water rights; and
• Provide for federal payment through appropriation or otherwise of the cost of processing federal claims to water in the Snake River Basin Adjudication.

• The orderly and optimum development of Idaho’s remaining unappropriated water under reasonable cost-sharing principles and tax laws by private, state and federal entities, including but not limited to ground water recharge districts.

Reasonable operation of State and Federal safety of dams and security programs and orderly rehabilitation of projects.

Continued operation of the federal cost-shared Natural Resources Conservation Service snow survey.

Reasonable water quality, environmental and tax laws, policies, regulations, and programs including:

• That the Congress of the United States recognize the primacy of state water allocation and water quality in efforts to reauthorize the federal Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act;

• Federal noxious weed and pest control on the public domain;
• Continued testing, monitoring and oversight of radioactive storage near or above water resources;
• Reasonable allowances be made for allowing burning for essential agricultural functions such as maintenance of water conveyance facilities and field burning for grass and cereal crops;
• Reasonable administration of the Safe Drinking Water Act, including research, technical assistance and education;
• Studies to demonstrate benefits of the agricultural water quality program with technical assistance for participants;
• Federal and state agencies retain lands needed for the proper operation of water projects;
• Tax relief for hydroelectric facilities owned, used or occupied by non-profit water user organizations consistent with tax relief for other sources of energy;
• Fair consideration of all competing interests and the appropriation doctrine in river basin planning; without such consideration, legislative rejection of the plan should occur;
• Title transfer to operating entities of distribution and drainage systems upon repayment, upon request of the operating entity and without further cost to said entity;
• A sufficient supply and use of labeled chemicals for land and aquatic weed and pest control; and
• Deference to state laws and positions.