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Statewide drought declared; Dungeness River flows low as snowpack data deepen concerns
Summary
At its April 8 meeting the Dungeness River Management Team reviewed Ecology’s statewide drought declaration that includes the Dungeness Basin, compared local gauge flows, and heard snowpack analysis showing extremely low Deer Park snow measurements, prompting steps on drought preparedness and water‑user coordination.
At the April 8 Dungeness River Management Team meeting at the Dungeness River Nature Center, Chair Hansi House said Washington State Department of Ecology had issued a statewide drought declaration covering the Dungeness Basin. "Every every single part of Washington state is covered by the declared drought," House told attendees, summarizing Ecology’s criteria and noting the declaration allows Ecology to distribute emergency drought funds and expedite temporary water transfers.
Members reviewed river‑flow data for local gauges. House reported the Ecology gauge at about 261 cubic feet per second (cfs) and the USGS gauge at river mile 11 around 305 cfs (daily mean near 298 cfs). Sean Hines said a recent field measurement marked on the USGS flow chart appeared about 25 cfs lower than the telemetry value and that he had contacted USGS for clarification: "that measurement looks like it's about 25 CFS lower than what is showing on the gauge on the telemetry website … Is it actually 25 CFS lower?" Hines said he would update the group when he hears back.
The group also heard a technical presentation on snowpack and flow drivers from Anne Soule of the League of Women Voters Water Committee. Soule said an analysis she prepared — with AI assistance on some computations — found little predictive connection between high‑elevation freezing‑day counts and the seven‑day low‑flow averages the watershed is seeing. She added that the long‑term Deer Park snow survey is at about 1% of normal, an indicator she described as "not good" and consistent with the drought declaration.
DRMT members said the drought designation heightens the need for coordinated planning among irrigators, the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and state agencies. House said the executive committee will reconvene a water‑user subgroup to focus on drought preparedness and communications, and members noted some state drought response funding appeared to be reopening for applications.
Public comment tied the low flows and restoration work to salmon populations. John Worthington of Sequim questioned recent restoration outcomes and said wild king and silver spawning remained inadequate in his view; his remarks were recorded as part of the public‑comment period.
Next steps recorded at the meeting included staff follow‑up on the USGS gauge discrepancy, reconvening a water‑user preparedness subgroup, and monitoring the status of Ecology drought‑response funding and related grant opportunities.
