This blog post is part of an ongoing series about water supply conditions. Please click here to read the previous post. If you want to learn more, visit our Washington water supply information page.
Have we seen the last of summer’s high temperatures? The
arrival of more moderate weather may feel like fall for many of us across the
state. As we begin to transition into the next season, let’s check in on our
statewide water supply conditions.
Status of our supplies
Weather impacts | Cooler and wetter weather is on the way.
Over the next 10 days, Washington will receive much-needed rain. While the
amount may be modest, it will help our rivers and streams rebuild to higher
levels while lowering water temperatures.
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The Walla Walla River in southeast Washington ran low in
August.
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Rivers and streams | This is the time of year when rivers
and streams are at their lowest levels. The snowpack is long gone and rain has
been infrequent, so rivers and streams are relying on groundwater. Currently,
about 48 percent of our streams and rivers are at below-average levels compared
to historical flows. Most of these are in the western half the state, though
southeast Washington also has a number of low rivers. These dry areas have gone
without their usual share of precipitation since early spring.
Last year, we experienced a record-setting drought that
resulted in 70 to 80 percent of our rivers being below-average for most of the
summer. But in mid- and late August, the weather turned cooler and
thunderstorms rolled across the state, dropping the percent of
rivers flowing at below-average conditions to 40 percent. Compared
to last summer at the end of August, our rivers are actually faring worse
because we haven’t had those big storms yet.
Agriculture | Most of Washington’s agricultural areas
experienced a dry and hot August. Crops are doing well for the most part, but
farm ponds and reservoirs are getting low. The large federal reservoirs used
for irrigation in the Yakima River Basin are at about normal levels, which is
good for farms and fish. Farmers in the Yakima region holding junior water
rights are receiving 94 percent of a full water supply. Senior users have 100
percent.
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Bull trout in Bumping Lake, a reservoir in Yakima County,
are heading up tributaries to spawn. Photo: WDFW
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Fish | Low flow levels in rivers and streams can be tough
for fish, but cooler overnight temperatures are helping. In the Puget Sound
area, streams are averaging 1 to 3 degrees Celsius cooler than in 2015. To the north,
the South Fork Nooksack River is about the same temperature as last year. The
Chehalis River and nearby southwest Washington streams are running very low
compared to normal. Good news can be found in the Upper Yakima and Naches river
basins, where bull trout have started moving out of Bumping Lake and into
streams to spawn. That’s encouraging after what happened last summer, when low lake
levels prevented the fish from moving into Deep Creek, an important bull trout
stronghold.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife continues to
watch for recreational rock dams that might impede upstream adult salmon
passage.
Drinking water | Drinking water supplies are doing well.
Seattle, Everett and Tacoma report normal or above-average water supplies.
How you can help
We all have a role to play in conserving water. Here are two
ways you can make a difference:
- When washing your hands, turn off the water while you lather up.
- Don’t use your toilet as a wastebasket. Even better, use a leak-free, high-efficiency toilet. Toilets are by far the main source of water use in our homes – they account for nearly 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption.
For more tips, visit our water conservation page.
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