North Idaho water rights and well drilling (Coeur d'Alene: house, transfer)

[blockzilla]

Hi All, we recently purchased a home in Coeur d'Alene and are currently on a 4 user shared well. I'm curious about what our options might be for drilling our own well (the reasons as to why are complex and worth of a separate topic). The shared well is on another homeowner's parcel.

I did get a copy of the water right claim filed in 2010 with a priority date of 1975, with the names of the sellers of my property, and I verified the active status via the IDWR water rights research tool online. I'm thinking I should contact the Coeur d'Alene Spokane River Basin Water system office to get this transferred into my name as the new property owner? Internet research tells me the water right transfers with the sale, but I'd feel better seeing my name next to it in the online tool. The "Point of Diversion" parcel and "Place of Use" parcel are different, any concern there that my right is only to divert from the different parcel where the shared well is? I'm confused by that.

I'm assuming that water right is needed in my name to drill a new well on my property? I remember hearing a couple of years back that there was a multi-year wait list for well drillers, what's the status on that? Is the wait getting any shorter to drill? If it really is several years, I may as well get on someone's list just in case.

I'm still figuring some of this out, but hoping some locals can give me your take on this and better understand what I might be missing as I begin to explore this. The shared well is down the hill from my house and is 120' deep, though I know that is no guarantee I wouldn't need to go significantly deeper. My property is gently sloped so I'm also trying to figure a spot for the drilling trucks to be able to set up.

Any words of wisdom greatly appreciated!

[redwood66]

I would definitely go to the IDWR office on Mineral Drive to fill out an application to have it in your name. Be advised it takes years to get it done as the applications are compiled until a large number is acquired for adjudication and signature by judge. Since it was already done for yours it might go faster. Our well had none and we started from the beginning around 2011 and finally received it in 2019.

Any local well driller can help you with the process for a new well. We used H2O for service on our existing well.

Edit to add - our well on the prairie is 300 ft deep and in the aquifer.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Ask at the IDWR office about claiming water rights. Right now there is a deadline Oct.28 for claiming one's well rights, if i understand it correctly. I believe it is all of Idaho, or maybe it's just Bonner Ct. Sorry about the vagueness of the post, but I think you should inquire ASAP.