Washington declares statewide drought emergency, unlocks $3 million in response grants

At a press event in Yakima, the Washington Department of Ecology declared a statewide drought emergency, citing snowpack and streamflow data that agency officials said leave reservoirs and rivers unable to meet typical summer demand. "Today, we are declaring a statewide drought emergency," Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller said, adding that the declaration allows the state to act immediately to support water users.

The declaration follows an unusually low snowpack: Karen Bombacco, deputy state climatologist with the Washington State Climate Office, said the statewide average snowpack was "only 52% of median as of last week," ranking as the third-lowest since records began in 1985. Sixkiller told the audience that Yakima Basin reservoirs can store about 1,000,000 acre-feet of water while communities, farms and fish need roughly 2,500,000 acre-feet each summer, a shortfall that helps explain the urgency behind the declaration.

Why it matters: officials said the shortfall threatens irrigation for crops, stream flows for fish and municipal water planning across the state. "We have entered April with roughly half of our normal snowpack," Sixkiller said, and agency forecasts point to warmer, drier-than-normal conditions through early summer.

Immediate tools and funding: Rhea Burns, manager of Ecology's Water Resources Program, said the declaration unlocks $3 million in drought response grants that public entities and tribal nations may apply for now. Burns described the 2023 legislative change that released funds at the time of a drought declaration rather than waiting for a legislative session, and said the grants are an important but limited resource for communities facing shortages.

Agriculture and ecosystem impacts: Jackie Hancock, a water resources scientist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, emphasized how multiyear drought compounds impacts for tree fruit and other crops and said Washington State University will publish an agricultural viability report this summer examining back-to-back drought effects. Sixkiller noted the Yakima Basin has experienced some of the most acute impacts and serves as an early indicator for other parts of the state.

Wildfire and public-safety risks: Dave Upthegrove, the elected commissioner of public lands, said four straight years of drought increase wildfire risk and praised recent legislative restoration of funding for wildfire prevention and forest-health work. "Only you can prevent forest fires," Upthegrove said as he urged residents to follow burning rules and take precautions this summer.

Public-health preparations: Lauren Jenks, assistant secretary at the Washington State Department of Health, urged preparations for smoke and reduced air quality and recommended households plan indoor spaces and consider air purifiers for people sensitive to smoke. "There's no amount of smoke that's good for anybody to breathe," Jenks said.

Questions from the press: Reporters asked about legislative remedies and whether surface-water rights might again be curtailed in the Yakima Basin. Sixkiller said it's too early to preview specific legislative proposals but that agencies are "in an active conversation" about long-term legislative and infrastructure responses. Burns said it is also too early to know whether a curtailment similar to last year's will be necessary, but described preparations including early communication with surface-water systems, conservation measures and mitigation strategies to preserve access where possible.

Next steps and outreach: The agencies said they will continue monitoring conditions, make grants available to eligible entities, and provide updates through the summer. Wenneke closed the event by announcing a planned visit to a Rosa Canal board president's orchard in Wapato to discuss near-term irrigation decisions with local water users.

(Reporting here is based on the agencies' statements and data presented at the event.)