Drought conditions expose different populations and communities to different levels of vulnerabilities. For example, residents of large cities with storage and infrastructure are at low risk, while residents of smaller water systems lacking storage or source redundancy are at higher risk.
Similarly, a farmer diverting from a small creek may be more vulnerable to losing access to water than a farmer taking water from a larger river which can support more out-of-stream use in a dry year.
In Washington, we have a legal definition of drought that is based on water availability. There are two factors we consider before an emergency drought declaration to be made:
- Water supply conditions, such as streamflow levels, are currently or projected to be at or below 75 percent of average, and
- There is potential for undue hardships to water users and uses
When these conditions occur, we can declare a drought emergency. At this time, there is no designation that exists describing a milder status, such as an advisory, though we have recommended to the Legislature that such authority be granted.