The drought declared in April is still in effect and shows no signs of ending any time soon. For those who haven’t been paying attention, we’re now just a little bit past the halfway point of our state’s fourth consecutive drought year.
Every month we convene a meeting of the Water Supply Availability Committee (WSAC) in which water supply experts from various state and federal agencies discuss factors impacting conditions throughout Washington. In Washington, drought is defined by water supply, which is made up of many different factors. The July meeting resulted in a bit of “good news/bad news.”
Temperature
The good news: It’s no longer the third warmest water year on record, which is what we reported in our June update. The June WSAC meeting covered conditions through May. Things have changed a little in the last month.
The bad news: It’s still too warm. Warmer weather is a problem for water supply as it increases water demand for agriculture, creates poor conditions for fish and leads to increased evapotranspiration, or the loss of water from rivers, lakes and reservoirs. The water year to date as of the July WSAC meeting (October through June) was the fourth warmest water year in more than 100 years.
Precipitation
The good news: Averaged statewide, precipitation for the water year so far was a little bit above normal (102% of the 30-year average).
The bad news: Much of that precipitation came in December. It came as rain when we really could have used snow and resulted in catastrophic flooding in portions of the state. This meant that rain wasn’t stored in snowpack and ran away in December, now no longer available now when most needed. June precipitation was only 82% of normal, with some areas east of the Cascade Mountains having 30% of normal precipitation.
Snowpack
The good news: Snowpack is finally normal for this time of year.
The bad news: Snowpack is normal now because this is the time of year when Snow Telemetry monitoring stations typically don’t have any snow to record. In fact, this year’s low snowpack melted off at many stations about a month early. This led to lowered streamflow earlier and for a longer duration and lowered soil moisture this summer.
The forecast
The bad news: Things don’t look much better going forward. Forecasts for the rest of the year from the Washington State Climate Office indicate summer will continue to be warmer and drier than normal. This will be followed by a warmer and drier fall than normal.
The good news: Washington’s Water Future, a statewide initiative led by Governor Bob Ferguson and Ecology to help Washington prepare for growing water challenges is underway. Ecology has hit the ground running this past month joining numerous outreach events around the state with Tribal governments, local governments, agricultural groups, industries, utilities, environmental organizations, and community groups. Folks are providing their ideas on what a resilient water future looks like for the long term, discussing a wealth of opportunities and solutions, and identifying a range of barriers.
Additionally, we’re looking for public input through an online survey which will be open through August 31.
Share your bad news
We’re hoping to learn more about drought impacts this year. We’re also curious about any temporary or permanent solutions implemented this year in response to recent drought years or future projections. This information will help inform our understanding of drought impacts and actions and support future planning. Those with relevant input can contact our drought lead, Caroline Mellor at caroline.mellor@ecy.wa.gov.
You can also submit your observations about drought conditions and impacts to the National Drought Mitigation Center by filling out Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR). CMOR is a nationwide service provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center, developed in partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These reports will become part of the permanent record, appearing immediately on an interactive map visible to the public, including the authors of the U.S. Drought Monitor.