Water

Low snowpack, early runoff: Idaho's tough water year

cassidy@agproud.com — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:48:28 -0400

“It was the warmest winter on record since 1895,” said Erin Whorton, a hydrologist and water supply specialist with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service during the Idaho Water Users Association summer meeting in June.

Five ways to improve irrigation efficiency without buying new equipment

ebedwell@uidaho.edu — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

While new irrigation technologies can be valuable tools, improving irrigation efficiency does not always require a major investment. In many cases, small management changes can have a significant impact on water use, crop performance and overall profitability.

Chasing water in Elmore County

marty@foresightpublicaffairs.com — Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Billy Wolfe is worried. Or perhaps “worried” is too strong a word for someone as unflappable as Wolfe, but he’s staring down the 2026 summer farming season, and he knows this year is going to be difficult, hot and dry. So very dry.

Putting wheel-line sprinkler technologies to the test

matt.yost@usu.edu — Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Even small improvements in how water is applied and managed can make a noticeable difference in irrigation efficiency and crop performance. Utah State University (USU) is currently studying four types of wheel‑line sprinklers (traditional impact sprinklers and newer rotator styles) to see how they affect irrigation efficiency and yields in common forage crops.

IWRB outlines projects from Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer to Anderson Dam

david@agproud.com — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Success continues on Snake River quagga mussel treatments

david@agproud.com — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The long battle with quagga mussels in the middle portion of the Snake River has been filled with countless casualties, which is precisely the point of its success, say officials from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

Canal lining project underway in Twin Falls County

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Water shortages have been a rising concern throughout Idaho during recent years. What makes this matter even worse is when a canal is unable to effectively hold all the water that it does contain. Twin Falls Canal Company (TFCC) is in the process of solving that issue for many of their shareholders.

Will the Teton Dam be rebuilt?

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Last year, 6,000 Idahoans signed the Senate Joint Memorial 101 (SJM 101) petition to “Keep Idaho Water.” SJM 101 aims to evaluate and expand Idaho’s long-term water storage capacity – including thorough studies of the potential reconstruction of the Teton Dam.

Idaho’s rapid growth requires loyalty to ag interests

david@agproud.com — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Idaho was the second-fastest-growing state in the nation from 2010 to 2020, hitting 17.3% growth over the decade. Idaho has gone from 1.567 million in the 2010 U.S. Census to 2.002 million in the July 2024 estimate.

Is cloud seeding good for Idaho?

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Is cloud seeding good for Idaho? Is it an effective way to increase the snowpack and, eventually, the water supply? What are cloud seeding’s effects on the landscape, human and wildlife populations?

Automated surge irrigation shows potential to reduce water diversions

matt.yost@usu.edu — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

One promising and often overlooked solution in helping to improve surface irrigation systems’ efficiency is optimizing how it is managed. Automated surge irrigation is a promising example of such solutions, one that can significantly reduce water diversions while fitting within existing farm management systems.

Will solar panels pay off?

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Farmers throughout Idaho may be on the lookout for ways to save power on their farms, while continuing to be efficient and quality producers. Solar panels are an up-and-coming technology that may be the type of investment a farm operation is looking for.

Q&A with David Hoekema, Idaho Department of Water Resources

cassidy@agproud.com — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Anderson Ranch Dam raise continues to move forward

cassidy@agproud.com — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

“As everyone knows the Treasure Valley is rapidly growing,” says Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB) staff member Justin Ferguson. Based on a water demand survey completed in 2016 for the IWRB, the Treasure Valley is projected to increase in population to 1.57 million people by 2065, and with that increase comes an estimated need for an additional 81,000 acre-feet of water.

Gov. Brad Little highlights American Falls Dam and Magic Valley water infrastructure projects

cassidy@agproud.com — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

On June 16, Gov. Brad Little and Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB) Chairman Jeff Raybould visited American Falls Dam and the Highline Canal south of Buhl to highlight two major projects funded through the state’s Modernizing Water Infrastructure grant.

Solving soil moisture challenges with surfactants

icrawford@precisionlab.com — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Soil surfactants when utilized correctly, can optimize soil moisture that would otherwise be limiting and leave the cool-season grasses vulnerable to heat stress. When coupled with well established “best management practices” for irrigation efficiency (i.e., proper maintenance, moisture monitoring, irrigation scheduling based on evapotranspiration and other precision irrigation practices), soil surfactants can be implemented to fully optimize irrigation water supply and improve efficiencies.

Farmers weigh in on expanding the ESPA to include surrounding tributary basins

Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In 2024, a new law added tributary basins outside the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer to groundwater rights management. Two producers share their perspectives on the impact of this change.

ESPA could soon include surrounding tributaries

sidneeh@ag-management.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:42:16 -0400

The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) is proposing to begin expanding the borders of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Area of Common Ground Water Supply (ESPA) to include the five surrounding tributary basins. “This is an issue of fairness," IDWR Director Mathew Weaver explained at a public hearing on March 24 in Moore, Idaho.

Idaho’s $30M investment in water projects stirs debate, ultimately passes

cassidy@agproud.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Reaching an agreement on the newly enacted 2024 Stipulated Mitigation Plan between the Surface Water Coalition and nine groundwater districts spanning the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) was only the first milestone. The next challenge? Securing the funding to make it work.

Maximizing efficiency and savings in irrigation: How energy management benefits farmers

skeller@idahopower.com — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:34:27 -0400

Water and energy are two of the most critical resources in modern agriculture, and efficient management of both can mean the difference between a profitable season and one plagued by high operational costs. Farmers who prioritize energy-efficient irrigation systems can see significant savings, better water conservation and even potential incentives to help offset upgrade costs.

An innovative approach: Renewed water management plan guides Wood River Basin’s future

cassidy@agproud.com — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

A negotiated management plan that has helped resolve a long-standing conflict between groundwater and surface water users in the Wood River Basin has been extended for three more years, a topic discussed in detail during the Idaho Water Users Association annual convention in January.

Snowpack, storage and the season ahead: Idaho’s water outlook

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

All in all, as of the middle of February, things are looking more positive in regards to snowpack and reservoir levels. As far as snow-water equivalent decreases through the decades goes, Ekins states, “We are a resilient state and will find ways to figure out how to manage these into the future.” Let us all hope for another good snowstorm or two, and look forward to another prosperous growing year.

Applications open for new telemetry and monitoring grant projects in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer region

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

The Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB) has opened the application process for a new $2 million grant program that would provide 50% in cost-share funding for telemetry and monitoring projects for surface water or groundwater diversions in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA) region.

Agreement reached: Breaking down the 2024 water mitigation plan

cassidy@agproud.com — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

“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."

Finding balance: Idaho’s water challenges and potential solutions

cassidy@agproud.com — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

“I’m getting fatigued on the problem. I want to focus on solutions,” says Jake Stander, a fifth-generation grower near Blackfoot.

Alfalfa and the wrangle for Western water

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

With agriculture using more than 40% of total U.S. freshwater withdrawals in 2015 and hay and forage crops weighing in at 37% of U.S. irrigation water use, environmental groups and the media have been known to blast alfalfa producers for excessive water use.

Understanding water management challenges in Idaho’s Treasure Valley

cassidy@agproud.com — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The Idaho Water Users Association (IWUA) midyear meeting in June highlighted significant water management challenges and innovative solutions in the Treasure Valley.

How did we get here? Idaho Water Users Association addresses ESPA water issue

cassidy@agproud.com — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

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).

North Side Pumping Co. completes $4.1M irrigation upgrade

cassidy@agproud.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

North Side Pumping Co., based in Hazelton, recently completed a $4.1 million irrigation efficiency project that spans 4,600 acres and benefits 30 producers in the Magic Valley.

A better way to know when to water

colin.campbell@metergroup.com — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Every farmer knows the cost of irrigating their crops, and anyone who has lost yield to disease and drought knows the cost of over- and underirrigating their crops.