Irrigation season is here, and that means green lawns, gardens in bloom and time outside. Here’s what to expect, and how to stay safe around the canals as they fill up.
The Nampa and Meridian Irrigation District (NMID) serves approximately 69,000 acres in Ada and Canyon counties. On Monday, they began moving water from their storage reservoirs into the canal system.
A typical water season runs from mid-April to early-October, but water availability and season length depends on what happened in the winter. This year, we didn’t get a lot of snow.
“We were referring to the snow that is up in the mountains," said David Duvall, the water superintendent for the irrigation district. "That's the water that we rely on throughout the irrigation season to not just fill the reservoirs, but to also keep the rivers flowing.”
It's too early to tell if the light snowpack will mean water restrictions or a water shortage, but Duvall said they try to conserve as much water as possible with system maintenance.
Canals can be dangerous during this time because they run fast, cold and are difficult to get out of. Duvall said irrigation canals are private property, so it’s illegal to play or swim in them, but that staying on the sidewalks provided around them makes it possible to stay safe and enjoy the scenery.
It can take some time to fill the canals, but NMID is expecting water to be at capacity by April 15.
For more information on how to stay safe, click here.
