We strive to serve Idahoans by ensuring their water is conserved and available to sustain Idaho’s economy, ecosystems, and resulting quality of life.

On July 21, Director Weaver issued the Order Revising April 2026 Forecast Supply and Continuing May 14, 2026 Curtailment Order (Methodology Steps 5 & 6)

The predicted In-season Demand Shortfall is 741,100 acre-feet.

The May 14, 2026 Curtailment Order, as modified by the June 17, 2026 Order Amending Curtailment List to Include Unmitigated Ground Water Rights, remains in full force and effect. All ground water users holding water rights listed in Attachment A to the May 14, 2026 Curtailment Order and listed in the June 17, 2026 Order Amending Curtailment List to Include Unmitigated Ground Water Rights bearing priority dates junior to October 11, 1900, shall continue to be curtailed from diversion and use of ground water pursuant to those water rights unless they are mitigating in accordance with an approved mitigation plan or are notified by the Department that the order of curtailment has been modified or rescinded as to their water rights.

For more information, visit the Surface Water Coalition Delivery Call webpage. To view past Orders and filings in this matter, visit Docket No. CM-DC-2010-001.

In May 2026, IDWR released the Trust Water Rights (TWR) Interactive Map. The TWR Map is a tool developed for Trust Water Right holders and water resource managers to monitor flow rates at Swan Falls Dam and view all Trust Water Rights in Idaho.

To learn more about Trust Water Rights and the Swan Falls Settlement, visit IDWR’s Swan Falls Settlement webpage.

Director Weaver issued his Order Declaring Drought Emergency for the state of Idaho on April 13th, following Governor Little’s approval of the order.

The emergency drought declaration allows water users to apply for temporary changes to their water rights for the remainder of 2026 to help mitigate negative impacts to their operations due to drought.

For Idaho, Winter 2025/2026 was the second warmest winter since 1896. The state received a record-low snowpack and warm temperatures accelerated snowmelt in March, a month earlier than normal. Nearly all Idaho’s basins were classified within drought conditions as of April 1st based on the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) SNOTEL SWE indices. Additionally, NRCS forecasts indicate that streamflow in at least 19 Idaho basins will be in some level of drought this year.

For more information, visit IDWR’s Drought Declarations and News Releases webpages.

Notice of Moratorium for the South Canyon County Area

Public concern over pending development of groundwater use and future groundwater availability in the south Canyon County area has grown in recent years. On March 20, 2026, the Director issued a temporary, five-year moratorium for the south Canyon County area.

During the temporary moratorium period, IDWR will continue to monitor groundwater levels in the area, gather the data needed to quantify and model south Canyon County’s groundwater resources, and identify potential impacts to the system from regional injection wells and pending groundwater use development.

Visit IDWR’s Moratorium Orders webpage for more information and to view the order.

Visit IDWR’s Treasure Valley Groundwater Flow Model webpage to stay up-to-date on activities regarding the model.

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

Stay informed about the latest news and announcements from the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the Idaho Water Resource Board. Visit our News Releases webpage to view current and archived news.