But the lack of snow wasn\u2019t just bad news for ski bums.<\/p>\n
Months later, the whole state is feeling the effects, as the \u201cfailure\u201d of Idaho\u2019s snowpack has translated to extremely low water supply, said Jay Breidenbach, a meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s National Weather Service.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s \u201cclose to some of the worst drought that we\u2019ve ever seen in the state,\u201d Breidenbach told the Idaho Statesman.<\/p>\n
In a normal year, the snowpack \u2014 the deep snow built up at high altitudes around the state \u2014 serves as Idaho\u2019s primary source of water during the spring and summer. That snow gradually melts and trickles down into rivers and streams, said David Hoekema, a hydrologist with the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the chair of the Idaho Water Supply Committee, a multi-agency group that monitors water and drought conditions.<\/p>\n
Irrigators are the primary people affected by drought, he said, because of the amount of water they use. That includes many Treasure Valley homeowners who water their yards through irrigation systems. Hydropower could also take a hit.<\/p>\n
Drinking water, at least in larger municipalities like Boise, comes from deep aquifers that wouldn\u2019t be affected by drought \u2014 at least, not right away, he said.<\/p>\n
Water from the snowpack typically supplies Idaho farmers\u2019 irrigation needs through the spring and early summer. Once it runs out, around June or July, the water in manmade reservoirs helps farmers finish their growing seasons. The reservoirs also serve as an \u201cinsurance policy\u201d against drought, Hoekema said.<\/p>\n
This year, runoff from the mountains ran out in April. That meant irrigators started to draw down water from manmade reservoirs much earlier, leaving the state with little reserve going into next year.<\/p>\n
If the snowpack fails again, \u2018we\u2019re really in trouble\u2019<\/p>\n
Conditions aren\u2019t looking too bad in the Boise area this year, Breidenbach said. The Boise River Basin\u2019s manmade reservoirs, including Anderson Ranch, Arrowrock and Lucky Peak, are at about 90%<\/a> of their usual level for this season.<\/p>\n But other than the Boise and Payette river basins, the whole state is facing water shortages this year, Hoekema said.<\/p>\n Some farmers left fields fallow because of drought, Hoekema said. But this year was nothing compared with what the state would see if there\u2019s another warm winter with low snowpack, he said.<\/p>\n This winter will be an El Ni\u00f1o weather pattern, which usually brings heavy precipitation to the southwestern U.S. Some years, that jet stream travels \u201ca little bit north,\u201d he said, dousing southern Idaho and leaving behind record-setting snowpacks.<\/p>\n But in years that El Ni\u00f1o jet streams have veered toward the south, they left Idaho \u201cbone dry,\u201d Hoekema said.<\/p>\n Even if Idaho gets heavy precipitation, much will depend \u2014 again \u2014 on temperatures. If the precipitation falls as rain instead of snow, Idaho will be in severe drought \u2014 this time, with little water in the bank in its manmade reservoirs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really sweating out the risk that the jet stream moves too far south,\u201d Hoekema said. \u201cIf that happens, we\u2019re going to see one of the most catastrophic droughts we\u2019ve seen in recent times.\u201d<\/p>\n He said such a drought might be similar to ones the state experienced in 1988, 1992 and 2001. In those years, the Idaho Department of Water Resources authorized emergency wells across the East Snake Plain Aquifer, and people had to truck water across the state. Irrigators had to leave significant portions of their land fallow, too.<\/p>\n Right now, manmade reservoirs across the state are low, leaving the state vulnerable, Breidenbach said. Reservoirs in the Upper Snake River Basin in eastern Idaho, for example, are filled to only 9% capacity.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we have a second year where the snowpack fails, then we\u2019re really in trouble,\u201d Breidenbach said. \u201cWe can\u2019t afford to repeat what happened last winter.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah Cutler<\/a><\/p>\n Idaho Statesman<\/p>\n Sarah covers the legislative session and state government with an interest in political polarization, government accountability and the intersection of religion and politics. Please reach out with feedback, tips or ideas. If you like seeing stories like hers, please consider supporting her work with a digital subscription.
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