Skip to content
Understand Idaho

Idaho water withdrawals

19.87 million acre-feet

Water withdrawn in Idaho from surface and groundwater sources for all uses, 2015 (estimate)

+2.9% since 2010 (19.30 million acre-feet); −9.1% since 2005 (21.85 million acre-feet); −10.0% since 1990 (22.09 million acre-feet)

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States. Data period 2015. Status: estimate.

Total water withdrawn per year from all sources (groundwater and surface water) and both fresh and saline, across all eight offstream use categories, converted from USGS's published million-gallons-per-day figure.

Change and comparison

From 1985 (24.96 million acre-feet) to 2015 (19.87 million acre-feet), the change was −20.4%.

The series high is 24,962,911 acre-feet in 1985 and the low is 16,960,580 acre-feet in 1995.

Among 44 Idaho counties in 2015, Twin Falls County was highest at 2,239,971 acre-feet and Boise County lowest at 5,455 acre-feet.

Irrigation is the largest category at 17,130,259 acre-feet; Aquaculture is next at 2,201,069 acre-feet.

Historical data

Idaho water withdrawals, 1985 to 2015Idaho water withdrawals, 1985 to 2015. Idaho: 24,962,911 in 1985, 19,868,156 in 2015.010M20M30M2000IdahoAcre-feetIdaho water withdrawals, 1985 to 2015Idaho water withdrawals, 1985 to 2015. Idaho: 24,962,911 in 1985, 19,868,156 in 2015.010M20M30M199020002010IdahoAcre-feetIdaho water withdrawals, 1985 to 2015Idaho water withdrawals, 1985 to 2015. Idaho: 24,962,911 in 1985, 19,868,156 in 2015.010M20M30M199020002010IdahoAcre-feet

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States.

Data table (7 rows)
PeriodIdaho (acre-feet)
198524,962,911
199022,086,117
199516,960,580
200021,797,893
200521,854,225
201019,300,580
201519,868,156

Withdrawals by category

Total water withdrawn per year for one category of use (fresh plus saline where USGS reports a saline column for that category), converted from USGS's published million-gallons-per-day figure. Idaho statewide only.

  1. Irrigation17,130,259
  2. Aquaculture2,201,069
  3. Public Supply308,924
  4. Domestic78,578
  5. Industrial64,554
  6. Livestock56,870
  7. Mining25,898
  8. Thermoelectric Power2,005

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States. Data period 2015.

Data table (8 rows)
Category2015 (acre feet)
Irrigation17,130,259
Aquaculture2,201,069
Public Supply308,924
Domestic78,578
Industrial64,554
Livestock56,870
Mining25,898
Thermoelectric Power2,005

Withdrawals by category over time

Withdrawals by category over timeWithdrawals by category over time. 8 series. Irrigation: 23,063,351 in 1985, 17,130,259 in 2015.010M20M30M2000IrrigationAquaculturePublicSupplyDomesticIndustrialLivestockMiningAcre-feetWithdrawals by category over timeWithdrawals by category over time. 8 series. Irrigation: 23,063,351 in 1985, 17,130,259 in 2015.010M20M30M199020002010IrrigationAquaculturePublic SupplyDomesticIndustrialLivestockMiningThermoelectricPowerAcre-feetWithdrawals by category over timeWithdrawals by category over time. 8 series. Irrigation: 23,063,351 in 1985, 17,130,259 in 2015.010M20M30M199020002010IrrigationAquaculturePublic SupplyDomesticIndustrialLivestockMiningThermoelectricPowerAcre-feet

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States.

By county

44 of 44 counties have a value for 2015. Idaho statewide on the same basis: 19,868,156 acre-feet.

  1. Twin Falls2,239,971
  2. Gooding1,235,002
  3. Cassia1,106,443
  4. Canyon1,093,752
  5. Bingham969,987
  6. Minidoka926,929
  7. Bonneville915,683
  8. Owyhee876,231
  9. Jerome834,136
  10. Oneida825,534
  11. Jefferson702,094
  12. Power627,246
  13. Caribou565,638
  14. Payette484,238
  15. Washington466,976
  16. Teton456,402
  17. Elmore432,823
  18. Madison414,990
  19. Fremont413,198
  20. Franklin358,076
  21. Camas356,340
  22. Ada355,656
  23. Nez Perce309,283
  24. Bear Lake284,494
  25. Lincoln282,007
  26. Bannock278,445
  27. Blaine255,706
  28. Butte216,994
  29. Latah211,057
  30. Clearwater181,295
  31. Gem167,708
  32. Clark162,712
  33. Custer162,600
  34. Boundary154,087
  35. Kootenai147,590
  36. Idaho130,508
  37. Lemhi106,335
  38. Lewis53,756
  39. Adams40,538
  40. Bonner20,174
  41. Valley18,449
  42. Benewah12,714
  43. Shoshone8,905
  44. Boise5,455

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States. Data period 2015.

Ada County: 355,656 Acre-feet (2015)Adams County: 40,538 Acre-feet (2015)Bannock County: 278,445 Acre-feet (2015)Bear Lake County: 284,494 Acre-feet (2015)Benewah County: 12,714 Acre-feet (2015)Bingham County: 969,987 Acre-feet (2015)Blaine County: 255,706 Acre-feet (2015)Boise County: 5,455 Acre-feet (2015)Bonner County: 20,174 Acre-feet (2015)Bonneville County: 915,683 Acre-feet (2015)Boundary County: 154,087 Acre-feet (2015)Butte County: 216,994 Acre-feet (2015)Camas County: 356,340 Acre-feet (2015)Canyon County: 1,093,752 Acre-feet (2015)Caribou County: 565,638 Acre-feet (2015)Cassia County: 1,106,443 Acre-feet (2015)Clark County: 162,712 Acre-feet (2015)Clearwater County: 181,295 Acre-feet (2015)Custer County: 162,600 Acre-feet (2015)Elmore County: 432,823 Acre-feet (2015)Franklin County: 358,076 Acre-feet (2015)Fremont County: 413,198 Acre-feet (2015)Gem County: 167,708 Acre-feet (2015)Gooding County: 1,235,002 Acre-feet (2015)Idaho County: 130,508 Acre-feet (2015)Jefferson County: 702,094 Acre-feet (2015)Jerome County: 834,136 Acre-feet (2015)Kootenai County: 147,590 Acre-feet (2015)Latah County: 211,057 Acre-feet (2015)Lemhi County: 106,335 Acre-feet (2015)Lewis County: 53,756 Acre-feet (2015)Lincoln County: 282,007 Acre-feet (2015)Madison County: 414,990 Acre-feet (2015)Minidoka County: 926,929 Acre-feet (2015)Nez Perce County: 309,283 Acre-feet (2015)Oneida County: 825,534 Acre-feet (2015)Owyhee County: 876,231 Acre-feet (2015)Payette County: 484,238 Acre-feet (2015)Power County: 627,246 Acre-feet (2015)Shoshone County: 8,905 Acre-feet (2015)Teton County: 456,402 Acre-feet (2015)Twin Falls County: 2,239,971 Acre-feet (2015)Valley County: 18,449 Acre-feet (2015)Washington County: 466,976 Acre-feet (2015)
  • 5,455 to 140,756
  • 140,757 to 260,253
  • 260,254 to 414,631
  • 414,632 to 828,974
  • 828,975 to 2,239,971

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States. Data period 2015.

Data table (44 rows)
County2015
Twin Falls County2,239,971
Gooding County1,235,002
Cassia County1,106,443
Canyon County1,093,752
Bingham County969,987
Minidoka County926,929
Bonneville County915,683
Owyhee County876,231
Jerome County834,136
Oneida County825,534
Jefferson County702,094
Power County627,246
Caribou County565,638
Payette County484,238
Washington County466,976
Teton County456,402
Elmore County432,823
Madison County414,990
Fremont County413,198
Franklin County358,076
Camas County356,340
Ada County355,656
Nez Perce County309,283
Bear Lake County284,494
Lincoln County282,007
Bannock County278,445
Blaine County255,706
Butte County216,994
Latah County211,057
Clearwater County181,295
Gem County167,708
Clark County162,712
Custer County162,600
Boundary County154,087
Kootenai County147,590
Idaho County130,508
Lemhi County106,335
Lewis County53,756
Adams County40,538
Bonner County20,174
Valley County18,449
Benewah County12,714
Shoshone County8,905
Boise County5,455

Source

Organization
U.S. Geological Survey
Dataset
Estimated Use of Water in the United States
Geography
Idaho statewide and by county (44 counties)
Time coverage
1985-2015
Update frequency
Every 5 years
Published
not stated
Original file
https://water.usgs.gov/watuse/data/ (1985-2010); https://doi.org/10.5066/F7TB15V5 (2015, usco2015v2.0.csv); https://doi.org/10.5066/P92AXN0O (2015 Idaho county cross-check, item 5b4603afe4b060350a1495f6, file 2018-093322.csv)
Methodology
https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/accessing-water-use-data
License
Public domain. U.S. federal government work.
Our copy
Estimated Use of Water in the United States, built by scripts/fetch-usgs-water-use.py

Caveats

  • USGS publishes withdrawals in Mgal/d; values here are converted to acre-feet per year (1 Mgal/d = 1,120.14 acre-feet per year).
  • Idaho statewide and category totals are this site's own sum of the source file's county-level rows, not a separately published state total.
  • Irrigation withdrawals cover crops and, from 2000 on, golf courses, combined into one figure.
  • 2015 is the last Water Use Circular year; it comes from a separate USGS data release, not water.usgs.gov.
  • Livestock is stock watering only; Animal Specialties (1985-1995) and Aquaculture (2000 on) are separate categories because USGS defines them differently.
  • Mining has no figure for 2000; Public Supply (2000), Livestock (2000 on) and Aquaculture (2000 and 2005) are fresh water only.
  • The 1985 file prints zero for Animal Specialties in every Idaho county; the value is stored as printed.

Cite

Cite this page as Understand Idaho, “Idaho water withdrawals”, https://understandidaho.com/water/withdrawals/, retrieved on the date you read it, and the publisher named above for the figures themselves. The dataset behind it is described in the data catalog.

This page was last updated .