In the American state of Idaho, an irrigation ban has been lifted for this season. A catastrophe for farmers in the largest potato state in the US has thus been averted for the time being.
Water is a scarce resource in Idaho and there are strict rules to ensure there is sufficient water available all year round. A system of permits regulates how much ground and surface water farmers are allowed to extract. On May 30, the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) issued a ban on water use for irrigation in nine counties. That ban would mean that the crops that were just in the ground would no longer be allowed to be irrigated.
Problem not gone
Farmer organizations and the water manager have reached an agreement on the use of water for agriculture this growing season after the intervention of the state governor. According to local media, the major economic consequences of the sudden irrigation ban played a major role in this. However, the underlying problem has not been solved by removing the irrigation ban, which has not been enforced for more than a week. Farmers have pinned their hopes on an agreement on good water management to avoid problems in the next growing season. In Idaho, potatoes are grown on more than 300.000 acres (approximately 120.000 hectares). The irrigation ban applied to 500.000 hectares. The ban has not been lifted for 330.000 acres.