Yakima Junior Water Rights Holders May Struggle In 2025

The Bureau of Reclamation is out with its first water supply forecast of the year, and it looks like the Yakima basin may have a challenging irrigation season ahead.  Reclamation’s March 2025 total water supply available forecast indicates the water supply will not fully meet irrigation demands this season.  The early estimate of the total water supply available for the April–September period indicates senior water rights will receive 100% full entitlements, but junior water rights will receive 48% of their full entitlements.

Storage in the Yakima basin reservoirs on March 1st was 22% full with 229,000 acre-feet, which is 36 % of average.  Precipitation for February was 106% of average and for October–February was 76% of average.  On March 1, the amount of water in the snowpack, known as snow water equivalent, was 81% of average.

Reclamation said it will provide an updated water supply forecast monthly, at least through July.

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