Wednesday April 9, 2025
Washington Department of Ecology —
The Washington Department of Ecology is extending a drought emergency for a third consecutive year in central Washington. It is also issuing a drought advisory for north-central Washington and parts of the Puget Sound region.
Back-to-back droughts in 2023 and 2024 took their toll on Upper Yakima, Lower Yakima and Naches watersheds, causing significant deficits in precipitation and soil moisture. Although snowpack in the watersheds that feed critical reservoirs is now at near normal levels for this time of year, there simply won’t be enough spring runoff to replenish reservoirs and rejuvenate soils.
“The time for miracles has passed,” said Casey Sixkiller, Ecology’s director. “We hoped we’d recover this winter from the compounding deficits of back-to-back droughts. But we’ve simply run out of time for Yakima and nearby areas. Reservoirs in that region are still just half-full, so we need to take action now to prepare for drought and deal with those impacts.”
Yakima-area reservoir storage is currently 59% of normal for this time of year – the fifth-lowest level recorded since 1971. March water supply estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation indicate irrigators with pro-ratable water rights may only receive 58% of their normal water supplies during the critical April to September period.