Why Jefferson County Lake is low

If you were planning on heading to Jefferson County Lake, also known as Rigby Lake, for Memorial Day weekend, you may be disappointed.

There isn’t much water, and the level could be low until the end of June.

Water resource managers say in past years, there was plenty of water and there was enough to irrigate and fill reservoirs.

But water rights and irrigation delays are contributing to a later start.

“This year they got off to kind of a late start because a lot of the great canals were doing some maintenance,” said Tony Olenichak of the Idaho Department of Water Resources. “The groundwater table is probably a little lower this time of year in that area than it typical is at this time.”

Until other water rights are filled, the only water filling the lake will be run-off ground water.