Ecology Declares Drought For Yakima, Other Washington Counties

For the 3rd year in a row, the Washington Department of Ecology has declared a drought emergency in central Washington.  Ecology noted in Tuesday’s announcement that back-to-back droughts in 2023 and 2024 took their toll on Upper Yakima, Lower Yakima and Naches watersheds, causing significant deficits in precipitation and soil moisture.

The Department added while snowpacks in the watersheds that feed area reservoirs are near normal, they said there simply won’t be enough spring runoff to replenish reservoirs and rejuvenate soils.  Yakima-area reservoir storage is currently 59% of normal for this time of year – the fifth-lowest level recorded since 1971. March water supply estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation indicate irrigators with pro-ratable water rights may only receive 58% of their normal water supplies during the critical April to September period.

“The time for miracles has passed,” said Casey Sixkiller, Ecology’s director.  “We hoped we’d recover this winter from the compounding deficits of back-to-back droughts.  But we’ve simply run out of time for Yakima and nearby areas.  Reservoirs in that region are still just half-full, so we need to take action now to prepare for drought and deal with those impacts.”

This is the first time since Washington’s current drought framework was put in place in 1989 that the Yakima region has seen three droughts in a row.

The Yakima Basin’s agricultural economy generates $4.5 billion each year, producing 71% of the nation’s hops, 63% of apples, 62% of cherries, and significant portions of other crops like pears, raspberries, blueberries, and asparagus.  According to projections from the state Department of Agriculture, a drought that results in 70% of normal water supply would affect over 6,000 jobs and create $161-$424 million in direct losses.

In addition to the drought declaration, Ecology also issued a drought advisory for north-central Washington and parts of the Puget Sound region, including Pierce, King, Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties, along with Okanogan and Chelan counties in north-central Washington.  A drought advisory is a public awareness and preparation tool to help increase awareness and readiness for water users. This can help water users plan, prepare and even reduce the impact of drought conditions.

According to Ecology, a drought is declared in Washington when there is less than 75% of normal water supply and there is the risk of undue hardship or impacts to water users and the environment. Declaring a drought emergency allows Ecology to distribute drought emergency response grants and to expediate processing emergency water right permits and transfers.  Ecology said it is making up to $4.5 million available in the coming year in drought emergency response grants to eligible public entities to respond to water supply impacts from the current drought conditions.

Earlier this week, we spoke with NRCS' Matt Warbritton who noted the statewide snowpack is below average for this time of year, which will impact the ability of area reservoirs to recharge this spring.

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