Current Drought Conditionsand Flow of Area Rivers
We are seeing late summer flows that we normally see after Labor Day, and Summer has just begun…
Mike GallagherWater Resources Program – Southwest RegionJune 26, 2015
Less than 75 Percent of
Normal Water Supply
Hardship
Drought
Washington State’s Drought Trigger
RCW 43.83B.400
Administrative Drought Trigger
• Water supply conditions where a geographical area or a significant part of a geographical area is receiving, or is projected to receive, less than seventy-five percent of normal water supply as the result of natural conditions and the deficiency causes, or is expected to cause, undue hardship to water users within that area.[WAC 173-166-030(2)]
Describing geographic areas for the purpose of declaring droughts
"Geographical area" can be natural or political. Examples:(a) The state of Washington.
(b) Counties.
(c) Water resource inventory areas (WRIAs) as defined in chapter 173-500 WAC.
(d) Individual watersheds which constitute only a portion of a WRIA but whose boundaries can be topographically described.
(e) Groundwater management areas and subareas as defined in chapter 173-100 WAC.
(f) Designated sole source aquifers.
(g) Combinations of the above areas.
Ecology Convenes
WSAC
WSAC makes recommendation re: water
supply
EWEC makes determination re: hardship
Tribal Notification
Governor’s Office Issues
Written Approval
Ecology Issues Drought Declaration Order
WSAC = Water Supply Availability Committee (Technical)EWEC = Executive Water Emergency Committee (Policy)
Hardship EvaluationGroundwater users should be buffered from impactsAgriculture
Costs of water supply can increase (well drilling, leasing and purchasing of other water rights)
Reduced water delivery, due to pro-ratable or junior water right status Some plants can’t forego season of no irrigation (e.g., fruit trees)
Water purveyors Municipalities concerned about drought message, reduced revenues Effects on smaller purveyors harder to predict
Landscaping Landscape industry saw reduced sales in past due to drought perception
Fisheries: Habitat and hatcheriesRecreationHydropower
Soleduck River
Flow levels in June quickly approaching the annual low flow levels of September - October
Summary Drought of 2015
18
This started as a “Snowpack Deficiency” droughtWhat normally would have fallen as snow this past winter fell as rain and has already flowed downstream.
However, while rainfall in “most” of Washington was normal over the Winter and early Spring… since early May and through June, rainfall has been below normal and we are now seeing this impact in streamflows – we are having August – September streamflow conditions NOW and summer has just begun. Groundwater supplies are expected to be fine in areas with regional aquifer systems …with the exception of shallow wells near streams with record low flows.
Main economic impacts from this drought are crops reliant on surface water irrigation and fish passage in streams with expected RECORD low flows.