BOISE, Idaho — As Idaho emerged from a snowy 2024/2025 winter season, water resource managers were hopeful that this summer would bring a level of respite after two straight years of above-average drought conditions. But, that break appears to be short-lived for the Gem State.
Since April 1, Idaho has seen "exceptionally dry conditions with temperatures being severely warm" across the state, according to the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
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A recent report by the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) indicates that barring an above-average monsoon season, Idaho's statewide water supply is expected to diminish rapidly this summer and into the fall.
The Treasure Valley remains somewhat of an outlier. "The Boise, Payette, and Owyhee reservoir systems, due to strong carryover and snowpack, still appear likely to see only limited water shortages, but reservoirs will likely have little carryover for the next irrigation season," said IDWR hydrologist David Hoekema in the report.
Northern and Eastern Idaho are a different story.
Storage in the Snake River basin, which includes much of Eastern Idaho, is already below normal for this time of year. What's more, usage rates in the area are also up significantly, creating the potential for water shortages in August and September.
"How severe water shortages will be in the Upper Snake River basin will be strongly impacted by summer time temperature, but could be reduced if the North American Monsoon brings summer rains and higher than normal humidity, which reduces the evapotranspiration rate of crops." - David Hoekema, Hydrologist, IDWR
Up north, water resource managers are predicting another year of drought conditions. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Lake Pend Oreille is currently measuring roughly 8 feet below its "summer pool," which indicates a reservoir's preferred level for normal summer operating conditions.
The PRISM model, which is a dataset that measures precipitation and temperature across the United States, shows that the April-June period of 2025 was the fourth driest on record for the State of Idaho. Only 1919, 1924, 2019, and 2021 have been drier, according to the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
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