Ground water in the Raft River Basin, Idaho, with special reference to irrigation use, 1956-60

Water Supply Paper 1619-CC
By:  and 

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Abstract

In the Raft River basin in south-central Idaho, ground-water withdrawals for irrigation have more than doubled since 1955, when data were compiled for a comprehensive report on the area. The present report summerizes data on the ground-water use and changes in the water regimen during the intervening 5 years. Water levels have declined 10 to 20 feet in the areas of heaviest pumping and 3 to 5 feet throughout the remainder of the area. These water-level declines are related to increased ground-water pumpage and below-normal precipitation in the basin. The total pumpage during the 1960 irrigation season is estimated to be about 127,000 acre-feet, of which about half was consumed by crops or evaporated. The remainder returned to the aquifer.


Irrigation development is acting to reduce the amount of underflow out of the basin. The water table can be lowered considerably more before underflow from the basin would be reduced substantially.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Ground water in the Raft River Basin, Idaho, with special reference to irrigation use, 1956-60
Series title Water Supply Paper
Series number 1619
Chapter CC
DOI 10.3133/wsp1619CC
Year Published 1963
Language English
Publisher U.S. Government Printing Office
Publisher location Washington, D.C.
Contributing office(s) Idaho Water Science Center
Description iii, 23 p.
Time Range Start 1956-01-01
Time Range End 1960-12-31
Country United States
State Idaho
Other Geospatial Raft River Basin
Scale 125000
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