As drought conditions persist in the Magic Valley the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is allowing a fish salvage for the Big Wood River north of Shoshone and parts of the Richfield Canal diversion.
Farmers who rely on Magic Reservoir for their irrigation supply only got 27 days of water this year after the Big Wood Canal company shut off the water Thursday.
Boise State Public Radio Docks outside homes near West Magic Resort don t reach the reservoir, which is about a quarter full at the start of irrigation season.
About half of Idaho is experiencing some level of drought, and early irrigation shut-offs are predicted for several basins, especially in south central Idaho.
Rachel Cohen
Water begins to flow out of Magic Reservoir on May 5 to irrigators, many of whom are in Lincoln County.
Last week, the Big Wood Canal Company opened the dam at Magic Reservoir, kicking off the irrigation season. The reservoir in southern Blaine County holds water that flows in from the Big Wood River after melting from snow in the Sawtooth Mountains. It supplies water to about 36,000 acres of farmland in the norther portion of the Magic Valley.