The Idaho Department of Water Resources is now on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

Visit us at IDWR’s socials for up-to-date information on Idaho’s snow pack, Idaho Water Resource Board projects, state-wide adjudications, current job opportunities, and more. 

On April 16, 2025, Director Weaver issued the Final Order Regarding April 2025 Forecast Supply (Methodology Steps 1–3)

The Director predicts an April In-Season Demand Shortfall (IDS) of 63,000 acre-feet. Ground water users holding consumptive water rights within the ESPA ACGWS with priority dates junior to August 28, 1955 will have until May 1, 2025, to establish that they can mitigate for their proportionate share of the predicted April IDS of 63,000 acre-feet in accordance with an approved mitigation plan.

For more information, visit: SWC Delivery Call and Docket No. CM-DC-2010-001.

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.

2024/2025 Rulemaking

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.