Drought

U.S. Senators talked about the West’s drought this week and what more they could be doing to address it. About $8.3 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure package is going to water systems, but as some lawmakers noted, water is drying up faster than some projects can get off the ground.

Idaho Matters takes a look at whether Idaho irrigators and cities will have enough water this summer.

Precipitation in May was normal to above normal all over Idaho, but the state started the calendar year with dismal snowpack.

The National Weather Service released its June outlook today. It doesn’t look great for Utah, Nevada, Colorado or New Mexico. Part of all of those states are expected to have higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal precipitation. Parts of northern Idaho and Wyoming are expected to stay cooler in June with more precipitation, but heat up later in the summer.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau said the New Belen Wasteway, a Bureau of Reclamation project that routes agricultural runoff back to the Rio Grande, is an example of an investment in water infrastructure that has huge impacts on surrounding communities.

On April 28, Gary Spackman, the director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, issued a blanket order for all 34 counties south of the Salmon River.

Water, or the lack thereof, has become a hot topic across the region. With severe drought becoming more of a reality with each passing season, City of Boise Strategic Water Resources Manager John Roldan and his colleagues talk about water – downpours and drought – every day of the year.

The Colorado River and the Snake River rank Nos. 1 and 2 on a conservation group's list of the 10 most endangered rivers in the country.

Boise Mayor Lauren McLean and the Boise City Council have had a busy week, with five days of live testimony about Interfaith Sanctuary's possible move to a building on State Street.

Because of low precipitation so far in 2022, drought conditions are likely to expand in Idaho this spring and summer.