Thomas (2026) Supporting data for 2022-2023 groundwater budget for the Mountain Home area, southern Idaho

Identification

• Journal: USGS DOI Tool Production Environment
• Year: 2026
• Authors: Paul M Thomas
• DOI: 10.5066/p13zg67d

Research Groups

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Idaho Water Science Center
• Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR)

Short Summary

This study develops a comprehensive groundwater budget for the Mountain Home area in southern Idaho for the 2023 irrigation year to address concerns regarding declining aquifer levels. The research provides a detailed dataset of irrigation sources, pumping volumes, and percolation estimates essential for regional water resource management.

Objective

• To quantify the groundwater budget components (recharge and discharge) for the 2023 irrigation year to assess the long-term availability of water resources in the arid Mountain Home region.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional scale covering the Mountain Home area in southern Idaho, including portions of Ada County, Elmore County, and the Snake River Plain.
• Temporal Scale: The primary focus is the 2023 irrigation year (November 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023), with supporting data records extending back to January 1, 2008.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Water budget calculation framework (detailed in the companion report SIR 2025-XXXX) utilizing volumetric mass balance.
• Data sources:
  • Spatial Data: Shapefiles of irrigated lands categorized by water source and subregional polygons for budget calculations.
  • Hydrological Data: Deep percolation and runoff estimates (2008–2020 pivot data).
  • Water Use Data: Groundwater pumpage and surface water diversion data from the Water Management Information System (WMIS).
  • Institutional Sources: U.S. Geological Survey and Idaho Department of Water Resources.

Main Results

• Irrigation Mapping: Produced high-resolution spatial datasets identifying irrigated parcels and distinguishing between groundwater and surface water sources.
• Budget Components: Quantified deep percolation and runoff volumes necessary for calculating aquifer recharge.
• Water Extraction: Compiled comprehensive pumping and diversion datasets for the 2023 period, providing a quantitative basis for groundwater discharge estimates.
• Subregional Analysis: Defined specific geographic polygons that allow for localized water budget assessments within the broader Mountain Home aquifer system.

Contributions

• Provides a standardized digital framework for groundwater budgeting in a high-priority arid region.
• Integrates disparate datasets (pumping, spatial irrigation sources, and percolation estimates) into a unified format for water managers.
• Supports the identification of specific drivers behind aquifer level declines in southern Idaho through high-resolution spatial and temporal data.

Funding

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR)

Citation

@article{Thomas2026Supporting,
  author = {Thomas, Paul M},
  title = {Supporting data for 2022-2023 groundwater budget for the Mountain Home area, southern Idaho},
  journal = {USGS DOI Tool Production Environment},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.5066/p13zg67d},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5066/p13zg67d}
}

Generated by BiblioAssistant using gemini-3-flash-preview (Google API)