Drought Response

Drought emergency declared in Yakima watersheds.

Ecology issued an emergency drought declaration for three watersheds in the Yakima Basin due to low reservoir storage, as a result of compounding deficits in precipitation, soil moisture, and snowpack from the 2023 and 2024 droughts.

In the water supply and drought context, “normal” refers to average water supply from the 1991-2020 period, for this day in history. This baseline is adjusted every decade. 
A drought declaration serves as a statement on water supply. State law has two conditions that guide a drought declaration: (1) water supply below 75% of normal (average of the last 30-year period), statewide or in specific geographic areas, and (2) the water shortage will likely create undue hardship for water users or the environment.

We continue to monitor water supplies and encourage people to use water wisely.

A formal drought declaration allows us to provide emergency drought relief by:

• Expediting processes for Emergency Drought Permits.
• Processing temporary transfers of water rights.
• Provide funding assistance for public entities (municipalities, irrigation districts, PUDs, etc.). 

Examples of how we've used funds in past droughts include:

• Processing emergency water right permits.
• Leasing water from irrigators growing annual crops for instream and out-of-stream uses.
• Funding emergency infrastructure for communities and irrigators.
• Resolving fish passage barriers.

On April 3, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued an  April-September estimate of the Total Water Supply Available (TWSA) for proratable water right holders of 58%. This is very low and concerning for agricultural and fish needs in the Yakima Basin. 

TWSA reflects multiple water supply indicators, and the forecast affects the amount of water junior or proratable water users are entitled (i.e., water right holders with 1905 or later priority dates). 

Even with near-normal amounts of rain and snow this winter, we are both dealing with the ongoing effects of the past two years in the Yakima Basin, and seeing potential impacts from low snowpack in other parts of the state. All of this is becoming the new normal as we deal with warmer temperatures and more winter precipitation falling as rain instead of snow.  
 

The areas in the drought emergency area include key agriculture areas that are very dependent on streamflows and reservoir releases.

Pro-ratable water users in Yakima (i.e., water users with 1905 water rights), are forecast to receive 48% percent of their water supply. This drought declaration covers our state’s most important agricultural areas, with more than $3.5 billion in revenue. Roza Irrigation District alone produces approximately $1.5 billion amount in agricultural revenue.

Farmers with junior water rights in the Yakima Basin are expected to be interrupted earlier this year. Curtailment occurs when there is not enough water to supply all water rights. The most recently established rights are curtailed to protect prior established water rights. For example, a water right established in 1945 along a particular creek might have to be curtailed to protect a right established in 1905 along that same creek if there is not enough water to satisfy both the 1905 and 1945 rights.

Water users worried their water supply is at risk of failing should contact the nearest Department of Ecology Regional Office.

This year will have $4.5 million in drought emergency response grant funds to support public entities for emergency projects related to drought. These funds are for emergency relief only to address water supply impacts from current drought conditions.
 

Part of our process to protect water supplies includes working with state and federal agencies to evaluate climate forecasts. The Washington State Climate Office and NOAA forecast warm and dry conditions in the areas declared in drought emergency for late spring and summer. For a full report on climate forecasting, visit our Statewide Conditions page. You can also help us monitor the drought by submitting observations and photographs to the Conditions Monitoring Observation System.

• Chapter 43.83B RCW - Drought conditions
• Chapter 173-166 WAC - Emergency drought relief
• Chapter 173-167 (2025) WAC - Emergency drought funding