Certainly there is debate about what constitutes drought and the beginning and ending of a drought. But I wouldn't characterize it as a controversy, just honest discussion and debate.
Southern Idaho is where the problem is this year.
Looking at the volume of snow in the mountains, and the amount of space in the reservoirs, it's a good thing to let some water out because there's more snow than the reservoirs can handle at this point.
And since that point, we've had above normal precipitation so from a meteorological perspective that drought has ended.
The drought here in southwestern Idaho is over. Even if we just have normal precipitation from this point on we'll finish in very good shape for all our reservoirs and streams.
