JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Demand for water in Idaho has levels at Jackson Lake plummeting.
Idaho controls majority rights to Snake River water even though the headwaters of the river are in Wyoming, just inside the southern boundary of Yellowstone. Irrigation activities in Idaho are needing more and more water with the current drought.
Jackson Lake levels are now at 80% of its potential 847,000 acre-feet. That’s very low for early July. Perhaps the lowest it has been at this date. The next body of water downstream on the Snake is Palisades Reservoir in Idaho. That body of water is at 76% full.
How much river water is being sucked up by Idaho farms? Downstream of most agricultural activities in Idaho is American Falls Reservoir. It is currently showing 24% full.
The Upper Snake River system, overall, is at 55 % of capacity. With at least two months of hot weather to come.
