Watching the water supply

Hot, dry conditions put pressure on water supplies

Campbell Creek, the water supply for the community of Ryderwood, is a 

trickle due to a major lack of precipitation in Cowlitz County. Read more

on our statewide conditions webpage. Photo courtesy of Washington State
Department of Health. 

The fall rains can’t come soon enough.

Months of unusually warm and dry weather continue to put pressure on the state’s rivers and streams. Although some areas saw sprinkles earlier this month, rivers across the state continue to recede. In some cases, rivers are hitting new record lows. The Naselle River in southwestern Washington established a new historic low flow when it dropped to 16 cubic feet per second (cfs) this week. That’s roughly half of its normal flow of 37 cfs.

High temps in August

Although wildfire smoke moderated the heat a bit, the average daily temperature during the first half of August was about 3 degrees above normal. This contributed to more days above 90 degrees than usual. The Vancouver airport hit 90 degrees or hotter on 28 days this summer. That’s more than Spokane, which broke 90 degrees on 23 days. The average over the previous 20 years for Vancouver is 11 days. For Spokane, about 19.

Thankfully, this summer, we aren't expecting an official water supply drought emergency to be declared. It's been hot and dry, but water supplies so far haven't met the statutory threshold. Under state law, a drought emergency is defined by a two-prong test:

·          An area has or is expected to receive 75 percent or less of normal supplies AND

·          Undue hardships are likely to occur as a result. 

Official drought declarations provide us flexibility to authorize emergency wells and water withdrawals.

Tracking impacts

We’re working with other state agencies to track impacts from the warm and dry conditions.

The Department of Health tells us that multiple drinking water systems in western Washington have taken measures to reduce demand. Actions range from requesting voluntary or mandatory conservation (e.g., lawn watering restrictions) to more serious measures like hauling water.

Larger municipalities like Seattle and Tacoma say their water supplies should be fine for the season.

For fish, warm water temperatures can block migration. Emergency fishing closures are in effect on parts of the Columbia River to protect fish trying to find refuge in cooler water, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

We are continuing to regulate water users in some parts of the state to protect senior water rights and adopted instream flows. Curtailment notices or orders have been issued in the Chehalis, Walla Walla, Methow, Similkameen, Wenatchee, and Skagit watersheds.

Read about more impacts on our water supply conditions webpage. We update it weekly.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, communications manager

Watching the water supply:

Southwest Washington bearing brunt of dry conditions

Although we don't expect much rain this time of year, one area of the state stands out for being drier than usual: Southwest Washington and most of the Olympic Peninsula.

The July 19, 2018, U.S. Drought Monitor map classifies

southwest Washington as having moderate drought-like

conditions. Much of the rest of the state is considered

abnormally dry.

The U.S. Drought Monitor map, one of the tools we use to assess state water supply conditions, classifies much of the region as experiencing moderate drought-like conditions. The map is updated weekly and available on our statewide water supply conditions webpage.

Streamflow data also point to low flows in the region.

We’re seeing many rivers and streams in southwest Washington run at record low levels. The Chehalis River near Grand Mound is running at 113 cubic feet per second—a flow level in the 1st percentile, meaning flows are so low they are exceeded 99 percent of the time for this time of year historically. The Willapa River near Willapa is at 20 cubic feet per second, which is in the 1.5 percentile, meaning the flow is exceeded 98.5 percent of the time for this time of year historically. Irrigators, fish and aquatic habitat are most affected by these low flows.

Citing low flows in the Cowlitz River, the city of Kelso has asked its residents to take  

The Chehalis River winds its way west of Chehalis (July 19, 2018). We're
seeing record low flows on parts of the river. 

voluntarily water conservation measures until water levels in the municipality’s water source improve. To the north, the city of Forks and two small Jefferson County water systems are also asking their customers to follow voluntary conservation measures.

NOAA’s climate prediction center is predicting warm, dry conditions for the rest of summer. We are closely monitoring water supply conditions and working with other state agencies to track impacts. If you’d like more detail, read our water supply webpage.

Are we in a drought emergency?

Under Washington State law, emergency drought conditions are identified when water supply in an area has or is predicted to have 75 percent of normal water supplies AND undue hardships expected as a result. 

Drought emergencies are declared using a formal process based on statute. At this time, we have not declared a drought emergency anywhere in the state.

A rain-fed water system

The hydrogeology of southwest Washington is unique. Water supplies rely heavily on rain and less on snowpack from the Cascade and Olympic mountains. This means the region’s water supplies are more sensitive to above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation like we’ve been experiencing.

The effects of the unseasonably warm and dry weather in May led us to issue water use curtailment notices. We asked 88 junior water right holders—mostly irrigators—in the Chehalis River basin to stop using river water until flows increase.  This is the fourth consecutive year we have issued curtailment orders or notices for junior surface water irrigation uses in the basin. It was also among the earliest dates we have curtailed this group of water users.

Office of Chehalis Basin

In 2016, the Legislature created the Office of Chehalis Basin within Ecology. While a main focus of the new office is to pursue long-term flood-damage reduction and restore aquatic habitat in the state’s second-largest river drainage system, the Office of Chehalis Basin is also tracking the impacts of the dry conditions.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, communications manager

Watching the water supply

As the recent cool-down gives way to warmer, drier summer weather, we are closely monitoring our water supplies. Last year, a lack of snowpack and spring rain led to a drought that had statewide impacts. This year, our water supplies are currently stronger across the state but we’re watching areas of concern.

There are two groups that keep close tabs on our state’s water supply. The Water Supply Availability Committee (WSAC) is a team of experts from state and national agencies who meet monthly to review data and discuss potential water shortages. If challenging conditions are identified or projected, they will bring the information to the Executive Water Emergency Committee (EWEC). This committee is made of state agency leaders with a stake in water supplies (Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Health, Natural Resources, Ecology, Fish and Wildlife, etc.). These leaders assess findings from WSAC and determine whether water users within affected areas will likely incur undue hardships.

At its meeting in early June, EWEC did not issue an emergency drought recommendation to the governor, which they did in 2015. The group discussed areas of concern and will continue to monitor water supplies. They will meet again should conditions change.

To help keep you informed, we’ll be sharing regular water supply updates on this blog. (Click here to read an earlier post on this topic.)

Status of our supplies

Here’s a look at water supply conditions as of June 17:

Paradise on Mt. Rainier received a few inches of snow
this week (June 7 top; June 14 below), but most mountain
snowpack monitoring  stations are currently snow-free.
Photos: National Park  Service webcam

Weather impacts | Cooler, wetter weather helped improve river flows in on the west side of the state where spring rains were in short supply this year. Today, about 56 percent of stream gauges are at below-normal levels. A couple weeks ago, about 75 percent of our gauges were below normal. The eastern side of the state did not benefit as much from rain. Rivers fed by melting snow (the Methow, Wenatchee and Okanogan rivers, for example) were running high due to early melt but are now below normal. While snow fell at higher elevations this week, most of our snowpack monitoring stations are currently snow-free.

Agriculture | The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation manages several large reservoirs in the Yakima River Basin, an important agricultural center, to help farmers irrigate through the dry summer months. As of Saturday, the Bureau began releasing water – about a week earlier than average – from the reservoirs to downstream irrigators. Last year, this action began in mid-April. The Yakima reservoirs are fuller this year – at 98 percent capacity.

Drinking water | Drinking water supplies are in good shape and aren’t currently projected to be affected by shortages. Contact your local municipal water system for information specific to your community.

Cle Elum Lake is a reservoir managed by the U.S. Bureau 

of Reclamation.  

More information | Visit our Washington water supply information page to read about streamflow, snowpack, precipitation, forecasts and more. 

Focus on fish

Fishery populations across the state face challenges again this year. Low flows in some streams and rivers are stressing migrating juvenile salmon, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery teams are already responding to warm water conditions. Water temperatures in the Columbia River are higher than average, even exceeding 2015 temperatures on some days earlier this spring. WDFW staff remain on alert for low-flow fish migration blockages and high water temperatures as we move into July.

How you can help

Water is a shared resource and we all have a responsibility to protect it. Here are two easy water conservation tips you can use at home:

• About 30 percent of our water use across the state goes to outdoor watering. When planting your landscape, consider drought-tolerant native plants and check to see a plant’s watering needs before you schedule your sprinklers.

• You can significantly reduce water use by simply repairing leaks in fixtures (faucets and showerheads), pipes and toilets. A leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. That would be like flushing your toilet more than 50 times for no reason!

Check out this page for more tips.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, Water Resources Program communications manager

What did the rains do for the drought? Not much!

No, this isn’t a cobblestone road but Squire Creek 

east of Oso dried out by the drought.

Weekend rains filled the creek but it is expected to run dry again.

by Dan Partridge, communications manager, Water Resources


The storms this week delivered more rain to Washington than the previous four months combined, bumping up declining stream flows across the state.

The rains have made a difference in the area of the state considered to be in extreme drought, now at 68 percent compared to 85 percent last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The rains also improved the morale of state employees working to provide drought relief in what is shaping up to be the worst drought in modern state history. But they only temporarily ease the hardships this drought is bringing to communities, farmers and fish.

Rains bump stream flows across the state

Before Aug. 30th, 75 percent of the reporting stations maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey across our state showed below normal stream flows. With the rains, that improved to 30 percent. That will alleviate fish passage problems for salmon migration upstream, but it’s not a bump expected to last as hot, dry weather is forecast in September.

The storms delivered 6.82 inches of precipitation to Olympic National Park, but the long-burning Paradise Fire – in the rainforest -- is still going! The fire has consumed 2,796 acres so far.

Fires still burning in Eastern Washington

A total of 3.28 inches of rain was recorded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport over six days, while rainfall was spotty in Eastern Washington ranging from less than a quarter of an inch in some areas up to an inch on other areas. It was not enough to douse the fires which have burned an area the size of the state of Rhode Island.

The city of Seattle received about 2 inches of rain over the weekend, but that’s far less than what is needed to pull back from voluntary water use restrictions announced for Seattle, Everett and Tacoma in August.

Snow forecast for the mountains

Some good news from this week’s wet, cooler weather is a National Weather Service advisory for mountain snow before Labor Day above 5,600 feet in the Cascades and Olympics.

Any snow in the mountains would be a welcome sight. But our statewide drought started with a lack of adequate snowpack over the winter, and by the first of June our mountain snowpack had disappeared. We will need “mountains” of snow (pardon the expression) to avoid another snowpack drought in 2016.

Long-range forecast

The 30-day forecast for September calls for an equal chance of normal or below normal precipitation and an equal chance of normal or above normal temperatures.

An El Nino weather pattern, predicted this week by the World Meterological Organization to be one of the strongest in more than a half century, will reduce the chances of adequate accumulations of snow this winter.

So it’s great to see the rain, but Ecology and our partner agencies in drought relief won’t be pulling back this fall on our work to relieve hardships from water shortages occurring in Washington Drought 2015. We invite you to help us document the drought by providing photos to the Drought Photo Tour of depleted stream flows, dying crops and fish stranded by low flows.