Craig had registered the only opposition to the bill because of his concerns about how it would affect Idaho users, opposition that supporters say is unfounded.

Though Craig no longer sits on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that is reviewing the bill, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has not decided yet when he will bring the bill forward again.

No time frame from Barrasso

“Senator Barrasso just returned from Wyoming and is still weighing the concerns of Wyoming folks who he heard from over the month of August,” Barrasso’s spokesman Cameron Hardy wrote in an e-mail response to questions. “He can call the bill up during any business session of the Senate Energy Committee, but he has not indicated a time frame for proceeding with the bill. I expect he will make an announcement in the next couple weeks about his intentions.”

The Snake Headwaters Legacy Act already has had a committee hearing but must go through a “mark up,” that could clarify language and address the water rights issue before proceeding. Barrasso has offered to include language in the bill that would explicitly state that water rights would remain protected for Idaho.

Hardy said he was unsure when the committee’s next business meeting would take place but it could happen this month.

Craig had focused on a provision of the bill protecting 42 miles of the Snake River between the Jackson Lake Dam and the Palisades Reservoir, saying it would harm Idaho farmers by compromising their water rights.

However, in early August, officials from the Bureau of Reclamation joined a chorus of legislators, lawyers, and nonprofits who stated that a bill to give the Snake River protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act would not affect water rights in Idaho.

Though Craig may no longer be in the Senate when the bill moves through committee, he already has chronicled his opposition, and fellow senators are likely to ask for resolution of his problems with the measure rather than simply discount them in his absence.

“He voiced his concerns to the committee, and I would think the committee would respect that to a certain extent,” Hardy said.

If the bill were to make it through committee without resolving Craig’s concerns, it could be stopped by fellow U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.

Crapo could object

“As far as I understand, there is still obviously an objection from the Idaho senators, as Sen. Crapo has the same feeling, the same stance that Sen. Craig does,” said Matt Letourneau, spokesman for Republicans on the Senate Energy Committee. “Generally speaking, we like to try to work out these types of issues.”

Any senator objecting to a bill can put a hold on it, preventing it from reaching the Senate floor, Letourneau said.

“Senator Craig’s departure doesn’t make passing the bill significantly easier,” Letourneau said. “Typically bills like this, when they do get moved, the senators do so as part of a package of bills that don’t have objections to them.”

Bill Wicker, spokesman for the Democrats on the committee, said the left side of the aisle would be happy to work with Barrasso to move the bill forward, but that effort has to start with Barrasso.

“Obviously, Sen. Barrasso is on Energy Committee and we will be happy to work with him, but we haven’t seen anything yet,” he said.

Wicker declined to comment on how the possible departure of Craig may affect the bill’s chances.

Shortly before his death, U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas of Wyoming introduced the Snake Headwaters Legacy Act of 2007. It would protect the “outstanding remarkable values” of roughly 400 miles of water from threats such as degradation of water quality and dam building.

Barrasso has continued to promote the Act in Thomas’ stead.