Idaho
Idaho water officials warn thousands of users about potential reductions amid historic drought
MURPHY, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Water Resources sent letters to about 3,300 owners of trust water rights, warning of potential curtailment. Those rights were created in 1984 to balance agricultural and hydroelectric water use.
Officials predict Snake River flows near Murphy could drop below the minimum level of 3,900 cubic feet per second within the next month. If that happens, it would mark the first time summer flows have dropped that low since the 1984 agreement was established.
Hear some of the ways farmers have had to cut back on crops due to lack of water:
Idaho drought pushes Idaho farmers into a corner
If flows fall below that threshold, users could face curtailment — meaning they would be forced to stop diverting surface water and reduce groundwater pumping to comply.
The warning is already a reality for some Magic Valley farmers. Alex Joslin’s operation draws water from the Salmon Falls Tract, which has about 10 days of water left before his season will effectively be over.
“We’re running on about 13% of our water, so yeah, it’s a little tight,” Joslin said.
RELATED | Twin Falls faces second water delivery cut amid historic drought conditions
Instead of planting his usual crops, Joslin has planted oats as cover crops just to keep the dirt from blowing away.
“This would’ve been alfalfa. The field behind us, there’s a full swing pivot behind us. That would’ve probably been barley or corn, one or the other, depending on how much water we had to work with,” explained Joslin.
Lorien Nettleton / Idaho News 6
He now has a large swath of his land sitting idle.
“Yeah, I have 1,200 acres in oats this year, so there’s a lot of ground that’s just sitting— doing nothing profitable,” Joslin said.
Joslin said only a prolonged stretch of rain could change the outlook for the season.
“If we had two weeks of rain, just move in— that might not even be enough— maybe we need three,” Joslin concluded.
ALSO READ | Idaho farmers face tough choices to keep permanent crops alive during the statewide drought emergency
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Send tips to Magic Valley neighborhood reporters Lorien Nettleton and Joey Martin
Have a story idea from Twin Falls or the Magic Valley? Share it with our team below —
Idaho
Dorothy Moon reelected to third term as Idaho GOP chair
MERIDIAN — Former Idaho state Rep. Dorothy Moon was elected to her third term as chair of the Idaho Republican Party during last week’s Idaho GOP Convention in Meridian.
Moon announced her candidacy for a third term as chair earlier this month after first being elected in 2022 and again in 2024. In this year’s election, Moon received 306 votes, former Idaho state Sen. Steven Thayn received 155 votes and Mark Fuller, the previous Idaho GOP first vice chair, came in third with 134 votes. In receiving just over 51% of the vote, Moon was able to narrowly avoid a runoff.
In his challenge to Moon, Thayn called for fostering a greater sense of unity among members of the party.
“Unity does not mean uniformity of opinion,” Thayn said in a prior news release on his candidacy. “Nor does it mean forced agreement. Forced unity always leads to tyranny. Real unity is voluntary. It is built through listening, respect, and a sincere effort to solve problems together.”
In the initial announcement of Moon’s campaign, she highlighted improvements to voter turnout and the defeat of the 2024 ranked-choice voting ballot initiative as among key party successes during her most recent term.
Idaho
Large police presence near Taco Bell in Blackfoot – East Idaho News
BLACKFOOT — A large contingent of Blackfoot Police officers has cordoned off an area near the Taco Bell on Parkway Drive in Blackfoot.
Police responded around 5 p.m., according to multiple witnesses who contacted EastIdahoNews.com.
EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to Blackfoot Police for details.
We will update this story as we learn more.
=htmlentities(get_the_title())?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=get_permalink()?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=htmlentities(‘For more stories like this one, be sure to visit https://www.eastidahonews.com/ for all of the latest news, community events and more.’)?>&subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20EastIdahoNews” class=”fa-stack jDialog”>
Idaho
Idaho angler reels in record 43.25-inch lake trout at Payette Lake
MISSOULA, Mont. — An Idaho Falls angler is back in the Idaho record books after landing a record-setting lake trout at Payette Lake.
Idaho Fish and Game said Dylan Smith caught and released a 43.25-inch lake trout on May 2, setting a new state catch-and-release record for the species. The fish surpassed the previous record of 42 inches.
The catch marks Smith’s second appearance in Idaho’s record books. He previously held the state catch-and-release lake trout record after landing a trophy fish in 2018 before that mark was later broken.
According to Fish and Game, Payette Lake has become one of Idaho’s premier lake trout fisheries thanks to years of management efforts aimed at improving both lake trout and kokanee populations.
-
Detroit, MI9 minutes agoWould Detroit Lions Salary Cap Be Wrecked If Terrion Arnold Gets Cut?
-
San Francisco, CA18 minutes agoTwo more Presidio Heights homes reach $10M range as luxury supply dwindles
-
Dallas, TX24 minutes agoOne Dallas Cowboys Contract That Will Age Poorly in 2026
-
Miami, FL31 minutes agoLive updates: Today’s South Florida News
-
Boston, MA33 minutes agoA federal judge in Boston has blocked parts of Trump’s order to limit voting by mail
-
Denver, CO39 minutes ago
Denver Transplant Games sets Guinness World Record for most living donors, recipients in one place at one time
-
Seattle, WA46 minutes ago17-year-old boy shot in High Point, multiple suspects seen running from crashed car
-
San Diego, CA48 minutes agoFoodie forecast: A new cafe opens in La Jolla’s Arcade building