A Burley Irrigation District employee opens the headgates at Minidoka Dam on April 2, beginning the annual “water up” process that primes the region’s extensive canal network for spring and summer deliveries in southern Idaho. (Bureau of Reclamation photo by Marc Ayalin)
BURLEY, Idaho – Southern Idaho’s 2026 irrigation season is officially underway. Crews from the Burley Irrigation District opened the headgates at Minidoka Dam on April 2, beginning the annual “water-up” process that primes the region’s extensive canal network for spring and summer deliveries.
The start of irrigation each year follows months of preparation and close coordination among the Bureau of Reclamation and irrigation districts throughout the region. Before water enters the canals, engineers and operations staff inspect infrastructure, evaluate water conditions, and plan releases to match anticipated demand. For more than a century, the Minidoka Project has played a vital role in sustaining Idaho’s agricultural industry, regional economies, and the communities that rely on a consistent water supply.
“Our partnerships are so important to what we do,” said Ryan Bliss, operations and maintenance program manager for Reclamation’s Snake River Area Office. “The Bureau of Reclamation was established to irrigate the arid West, and without our irrigation districts to take the water and deliver it directly to farmers, we would be failing in our mission.”
Reclamation and the Burley Irrigation District have worked together for decades to ensure reliable water delivery for southern Idaho producers. This year’s system startup reflects the continued commitment of irrigation district crews, Reclamation staff, and regional water managers.
“We start roughly around April 16th or earlier,” said Dustin Jensen, pump station foreman for the Burley Irrigation District. “We draw from the Minidoka Dam through a 13-mile gravity canal and pump from there. Having the bureau supply the water and power to the system allows us to pump to the farmers—and in return, that benefit comes back to us through agricultural yield.”
These long-standing partnerships help sustain productive agriculture, strengthen local communities, and maintain the infrastructure that keeps southern Idaho thriving.
The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits.
