Water and energy are two of the most critical resources in modern agriculture, and efficient management of both can mean the difference between a profitable season and one plagued by high operational costs. Farmers who prioritize energy-efficient irrigation systems can see significant savings, better water conservation and even potential incentives to help offset upgrade costs.

A negotiated management plan that has helped resolve a long-standing conflict between groundwater and surface water users in the Wood River Basin has been extended for three more years, a topic discussed in detail during the Idaho Water Users Association annual convention in January.

All in all, as of the middle of February, things are looking more positive in regards to snowpack and reservoir levels. As far as snow-water equivalent decreases through the decades goes, Ekins states, “We are a resilient state and will find ways to figure out how to manage these into the future.” Let us all hope for another good snowstorm or two, and look forward to another prosperous growing year.

“Well, I think the sign of any good agreement is that nobody's happy,” says Travis Thompson, an attorney for the Surface Water Coalition (SWC). “That way you know something's been done right."

“I’m getting fatigued on the problem. I want to focus on solutions,” says Jake Stander, a fifth-generation grower near Blackfoot.

With agriculture using more than 40% of total U.S. freshwater withdrawals in 2015 and hay and forage crops weighing in at 37% of U.S. irrigation water use, environmental groups and the media have been known to blast alfalfa producers for excessive water use.

The Idaho Water Users Association (IWUA) midyear meeting in June highlighted significant water management challenges and innovative solutions in the Treasure Valley.

On June 10-11, the Idaho Water Users Association held its midyear meeting in Sun Valley, Idaho, where a key presentation addressed the contentious issue of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA).

North Side Pumping Co., based in Hazelton, recently completed a $4.1 million irrigation efficiency project that spans 4,600 acres and benefits 30 producers in the Magic Valley.