Central Washington Water Forecast Water Shows Slight Improvement

Water availability, statistically, has improved in central Washington. The Bureau of Reclamation’s July 2026 total water supply available forecast shows that water supply will not fully meet irrigation demands this season in the Yakima Basin. The most recent estimates indicate senior water rights will receive 100% full entitlements, and junior water rights will receive 56% of their full entitlements.

The figure, for junior rights holders, is up from the 52% reported for the past three months.

Storage in the Yakima basin reservoirs on July 1st was 80% full with 857,816 acre-feet, which is 90% of average. Meanwhile, precipitation for June was 77% of average and for the current water year was 114% of average.

July is the final scheduled forecast from Reclamation, but the Bureau indicated additional monthly forecasts will be provided through the end of the 2026 water year, which runs through the end of September.