Washington farmers, wildlife managers prepare for drought

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Washington farmers, wildlife managers prepare for drought

SEATTLE (AP) — With Washington state experiencing the worst mountain snowpack in decades and a drought emergency declared two weeks ago, farmers, growers and wildlife managers are preparing for a tough summer as conditions are expected to worsen.

Some farmers and irrigators are forgoing watering crops and pastures for all or part of the season in exchange for lease payments from the state. Others are seeking permission to tap emergency wells or drill new ones. A large irrigation district in the Yakima River basin shut off the water for a few weeks this month to save supply for later.

Fish managers are keeping close watch on rivers where salmon heading upstream may get stranded or could be harmed by shallow, warmer stream temperatures.

The statewide snowpack level is less than 10 percent of normal, and about one-fifth of the state’s rivers and streams are at record low levels, prompting Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a statewide drought emergency on May 15. He said agriculture, wildlife and communities with small water systems will be hit hardest.

The declaration allows the Department of Ecology to buy and lease water for farmers, protect salmon and help those facing hardships, but the agency is still waiting for the money. The state Senate approved $18 million over two years in emergency drought relief as the first special session closed Thursday, but the House hasn’t taken action yet.

“This is the worst snowpack we’ve seen since we started collecting data in the 1930s,” said Scott Pattee, a water supply specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. “The state is in a drought, even though we’ve had a normal water year.”

Unlike drought-stricken California, where mandatory water restrictions are in place, rainfall has been normal in Washington this winter. So water suppliers in cities such as Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Vancouver, have a good supply in rain-fed reservoirs or aquifers and don’t anticipate water limits. Yakima also likely won’t curtail water though the city recently launched a campaign encouraging residents to conserve.

But low snowpack means there won’t be much to replenish streams and rivers this summer when migrating fish and farmers who rely on irrigation need it most….More Here

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Washington farmers, wildlife managers prepare for drought