As it commonly is with water projects in the Gem State, money is being dedicated at a constant basis on projects focusing in the short- and long-term future. Idaho Water Resource Board chairman Jeff Raybould presented an extensive review of how state funding has targeted specific projects across the state’s aquifers, streams and rivers.

Ag Proud – Idaho’s Cassidy Woolsey caught up with David Hoekema, a hydrologist with the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR), to discuss this year's unusually dry spring and how it’s affecting the state’s water supply.

“Well, I think the sign of any good agreement is that nobody's happy,” says Travis Thompson, an attorney for the Surface Water Coalition (SWC). “That way you know something's been done right."

For the first time since 2019, the Midwest is mostly clear of drought advisories, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In fact, May was one of the wettest months on record for Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota and regions of Michigan, with above-normal precipitation continuing throughout the growing season. Such weather has dairy producers in a pinch to manage manure appropriately.

On June 10-11, the Idaho Water Users Association held its midyear meeting in Sun Valley, Idaho, where a key presentation addressed the contentious issue of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA).

During a meeting of the City Club of Idaho Falls on May 16, Stephanie Mickelsen addressed Idaho’s water issues and how eastern Idaho farmers are working to better manage the resource.