Current Topics
Visit IDWR’s News Page to view Department press releases.
The 2025 Idaho Legislature passed Senate Bill 1083a revising several statutes dealing with domestic uses of water, shared wells, and subdivisions. These statutory changes are effective on July 1, 2025.
The changes to Idaho Code §§ 42-111 and 42-227 modified the requirements for establishing a water right for domestic purposes without applying to IDWR for a permit. This opportunity is sometimes called the “domestic exemption.”
For more information or to learn if your water use qualifies for a domestic exemption, visit IDWR’s Domestic Exemption webpage.
On May 16, 2025, Director Weaver issued the Final Order Curtailing Ground Water Rights Junior to August 28, 1955.
For more information, visit: the SWC Delivery Call and Docket No. CM-DC-2010-001 webpages.
At the end of March, the Director and key IDWR staff held five public meetings in eastern Idaho to notify water users and receive public comment and testimony on the proposed expansion of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Area of Common Ground Water Supply.
The public meetings were held in the Big Lost, Little Lost, American Falls, Portneuf, and Raft River basins.
To learn more and view the meeting materials and public comment for each of the five public meetings, visit IDWR’s Administrative Actions page and click on the links labeled Expansion of the ESPA ACGWS followed by the name of the river basin.
On December 20, 2024, Director Weaver issued a Final Order approving the three-year extension of the Big Wood River Ground Water Management Area Management Plan.
The BWRGWMA Advisory Committee began developing the BWRGWMA Management Plan in 2020 to manage the effects of ground water withdrawals on aquifers within the BWRGWMA. The Management Plan was approved by IDWR in 2022 for a three-year term. The Management Plan is renewed for another 3-year term to allow the Advisory Committee time to achieve specific action items for a long-term management plan.
For more information and to view the Extended Plan and Final Order, visit the Big Wood Ground Water Management Area Advisory Committee webpage.
On November 1st and continuing until April 30th, all cloud seeding operations authorized by the Idaho Water Resource Board, and as directed by Idaho Code § 42-4301, have kicked off in several Idaho basins.
Visit the IWRB’s new and improved Cloud Seeding Program webpage for more information on cloud seeding and cloud seeding operations in Idaho.
The Department is reviewing its administrative rules, consistent with the Governor’s Zero Based Regulation, Executive Order 2020-01. For more information visit, IDWR’s Rulemaking page or follow the links below for specific rulemaking activities.
Fall 2024 Release
The Fall release of Priest Lake will begin on October 1, 2024. On that date, the lake will be lowered below 3.0 feet. Please plan accordingly.
Throughout the year, IDWR posts updates on Priest Lake water levels and outlet dam operations. To view the April update on Priest Lake, visit IDWR’s Lake Management page.
IDWR receives many questions regarding the management of groundwater resources in the state, including domestic wells. To help answer those questions and more, IDWR compiled this Groundwater Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document.
