JACKSON, Wyo. — On Thursday, Sept. 4, the Town of Jackson shared its latest water usage update, reporting that while summer irrigation levels are still too high, there has been an overall decline since early July.
In July, an emergency water ordinance was put into place to help ensure there is sufficient water for households, fire suppression and other potential emergencies in the community. The ordinance is scheduled to end on Oct. 31.
“The Town anticipated and planned for increased demand for water, but the draw we are experiencing this summer exceeds former patterns and projections,” the report reads.
According to the Town, sporadic spikes in water use are still occurring. Community members used approximately 38 million gallons of water the week of Aug. 18, and approximately 34 million gallons the week of August 25. Both weeks were down from the peak in early July, when the Town supplied 44.5 million gallons of water in one week. Water use has been down 23% compared to earlier in the summer.
“Our entire community should continue to reduce irrigation to help maintain everyone’s health, safety and welfare,” Town wrote in the report. “Everyone needs to stay the course as drought conditions increase on hot, dry days.”
Currently, the Town of Jackson and Teton County are either experiencing extreme or severe drought. To increase water availability, the construction of two new wells in West Jackson is now underway, with anticipated completion by summer 2026. The Town is partnering with the Gill family to locate the wells on the Porter Ranch.
To help with water conservation, landscaping companies and large water users are assisting the Town with evaluating usage, timing and irrigation methods. According to the Town, several Town parks already have weather-based sensors and Teton County Parks & Recreation’s team is evaluating additional potential adjustments to watering. The Teton Conservation District is also providing expertise about native plants, appropriate vegetation and other resources for water conservation.
“As a community, we can plant and water more wisely in the future to help sustain our shared water supply,” the Town wrote. “In the long-term, our community needs to shift its mindset to plant native vegetation and change to weather-based irrigation systems.”
