Ecology outlines drought thresholds, relief and grants as Dungeness team weighs local impacts

The Washington Department of Ecology’s statewide drought lead, Caroline Mellor, told the Dungeness River Management Team on Oct. 8 that the agency uses a two-part test before issuing a state drought declaration: a hydrologic threshold and a hardship threshold. “First is a hydrologic threshold that an area is receiving or is projected to receive less than 75% of normal water supply,” Mellor said, adding that “by normal, we’re referring to the most recent 30 year period” (1991–2020).

Mellor said the second required factor is a demonstrable “hardship threshold” meaning water users or the environment “are or clearly expected to experience undue hardship based on those hydrologic conditions.” She repeated that a state declaration does two key things: it allows Ecology to expedite temporary emergency applications for water transfers or drought permits and it opens limited drought emergency…