Irrigation canals to start filling next week

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - As the spring season hits Idaho, irrigation for farming is needed soon. The Bureau of Reclamation is in charge of moving natural and storage water to fulfill farmer's needs for irrigation.

The bureau announced they will start to fill the canals off the Snake River beginning next week. They say there is already some water present that has started to get into the canals, but they will be increasing the flow into the canals in the next few days.

The main reason for this further wait is for the weather conditions to be better for water transport. The subfreezing temperatures and snowfall of this past week has slowed down the flow. The bureau doesn't mind this halt in progress though since it will be able to help out the water levels in the long run.

The Bureau of Reclamation is still expected to reach into the storage supply in order to meet irrigation demands during this drought. The Palisades Reservoir is 39% full, and the Jackson Lake Reservoir is only 22% full. With the runoff of the snowpack, the levels for both reservoirs are predicted to increase in the next month. Overall, concerns still loom with of water available for irrigation.