Idaho farmers are facing one of the most challenging irrigation seasons in decades as drought, historically low snowpack and declining water supplies strain the Snake River system.

"We had a really warm winter," said David Hoekema, a hydrologist with the Idaho Department of Water Resources. "So, we probably had one of the lowest snowpacks in state history."

According to a news release made by the Surface Water Coalition, the 2026 irrigation season has entered its most critical period, forcing canal companies and irrigation districts to reduce water deliveries to farms across southern Idaho. The coalition cited historically low snowpack, below-average precipitation and declining reach gains in the Snake River as the primary cause of the shortages.

Eastern Idaho missed much of the precipitation that benefited the western portions of the state so, water supplies have fallen well behind normal levels.

"Because eastern Idaho didn't get the rains that Western Idaho got," Hoekema said. "The Snake River is about a million acre-feet short of where we were last year."

The reduced supply has already led to significant water cuts for irrigation districts. The Twin Falls Canal Company is operating with a 33.3% reduction in normal water allocations, while other Surface Water Coalition members are seeing reductions ranging from 12.5% to 20%.

Surface Water Coalition Chairman Alan Hansten said those reductions are forcing difficult decisions for producers.

"Our members are facing deep cuts to each of their water supplies," Hansten said in the news release. "Farmers are already having to decide what fields to abandon to make it through the summer."

The coalition also reported that at least one farmer has already cut grain crops early to sell as cattle feed in order to preserve limited water supplies for higher-value crops.

Hoekema said conditions could become even more restrictive if the dry weather continues.

"They may hit a point where they start restricting storage diversions," Hoekema said. "We're looking at tough times. The water supply is pretty short."

According to the coalition, Idaho's reservoirs currently contain about 2.47 million acre-feet of water, roughly one-third below average for this point in the year. Water District 1 also reports that this year's mountain snowpack reached less than 40% of normal.

While agriculture bears the greatest impact, Hoekema said residents can also help conserve the state's limited water resources.

"Residents of the city should do their best to conserve water," Hoekema said. "We [need to] get as much water as possible to farmers."

Despite the difficult outlook, Hoekema said Idaho is better prepared to manage drought than in previous decades because of continued investments in water infrastructure and management.

"We're in a much better position to deal with drought now than we were in [previous decades]," Hoekema said. "Each time we enter into a drought, we tend to increase the amount of investment in water resources."

The Surface Water Coalition, which delivers irrigation water to approximately 550,000 acres of farmland, said it will continue monitoring conditions throughout the irrigation season as water managers work to balance the needs of farmers and communitites across southern Idaho.