Washington expands drought emergency to 22 watersheds, unlocking emergency grants and transfers

Casey Sixkiller, director of the Washington Department of Ecology, announced that the agency is expanding the state drought emergency to include much of the Puget Sound region and the Central Cascades, bringing the total number of watersheds under declaration to 22 and unlocking emergency relief tools.

"We're here today to announce that we're expanding the drought emergency to include more of our state," Sixkiller said, adding that the declaration enables expedited emergency water‑right transfers and emergency drought grants to public entities.

Why it matters: officials said the move responds to unusually dry conditions in April and May, earlier-than-normal snowmelt and forecasts for a hotter, drier summer. "This is the third year in a row that snowpack deficits or early and rapid melt have led to water supply impacts in Washington," Sixkiller said, and warned that low water supplies harm people as well as salmon and other fish that need cool river and stream flows.

Climate context and numbers: Karen Bambacco, deputy state climatologist at the Washington State Climate Office, said April statewide temperatures were about 2 degrees Fahrenheit above normal and that April–May precipitation was less than 60% of normal across much of Washington. Bambacco added that snowpack peaked earlier than usual and melted faster; the department noted earlier melt by as much as 33 days in some places.

Ecology’s drought lead, Caroline Mellor, gave basin-specific data: the Bureau of Reclamation reported the total water supply available for proratable rights in the Yakima Basin had dropped to about 43%, down from 48% in early May, a decline Mellor said will have consequences for irrigation districts and fish return flows. For the Central Cascades, ecology staff reported snowpack near 21% of normal on the eastern side and 12% of normal on the western side (compared to June 5 30‑year averages).

Money and legal tools: the department said $4,500,000 is available this year to support emergency drought response activities. Mellor noted a 2023 amendment to the state drought statute that tops up a drought response account to $3,000,000 to fund Emergency Drought Response grants for public entities, but she and other officials said long‑term resilience and preparedness funding needs remain unresolved.

Journalists pressed officials on wildfire risk and geographic coverage. Tess of King 5 asked whether the declaration raised wildfire concerns; Bambacco pointed to a National Interagency Fire Center outlook that shows elevated potential beginning in eastern Washington in June and expanding statewide in August and September. When asked why portions of typically dry Eastern Washington were not included, Mellor explained that state law defines drought relative to normal conditions for each watershed, so an area that is ordinarily dry may not meet the legal threshold for a drought declaration.

What officials recommended: Sixkiller urged simple conservation measures for residents and emphasized that municipal systems serving Seattle, Tacoma and Everett generally remain in good shape this summer. He also said the department will stand with affected communities and continue to use available emergency tools.

Next steps and public materials: Ecology posted a news release and a map of declared areas in the chat and said both will be available on the department website and distributed by email; a recording of the event will be posted on YouTube. Reporters were given contact information for follow-up questions.

Funding or policy follow-ups are expected to be discussed further as officials and legislators evaluate whether current emergency and resilience funding levels are sufficient if droughts remain frequent.