OLYMPIA—With early spring snowpack conditions worsening, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Friday extended the drought emergency to nearly half the state.
The governor added 13 watersheds—10 in Western and three in Eastern Washington—to the 11 in his March 13 drought order. Some 44 percent of the state is now eligible for drought relief funds.
“This is an ongoing emergency, and we’re going to have some long, hard months ahead of us,” Inslee said in a written statement. “We’re moving quickly so that we’re prepared to provide relief to farms and fish this summer.”
Today’s declaration added all or parts of Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties in northwest Washington.
Also added were portions of Skamania, Clark, Cowlitz and Lewis counties in southwest Washington, as well as Pierce, Mason and Kitsap counties in the Puget Sound.
A part of Okanogan County was added in north-central Washington, as were parts of Kittitas, Benton and Klickitat counties in south-central Washington.
The March 13 declaration included the Olympic Peninsula, the Walla Walla region, and the Yakima and Wenatchee areas.
Since then, the state has generally received normal or above precipitation, but warmer than usual temperatures continue to melt what little snow had accumulated over an unusually mild winter.
Snow has fallen in the mountains recently, but the statewide snow pack remains at 24 percent of normal, according to the Governor’s Office.
In some places, the snow pack is in single digits of normal or gone entirely.
“We’ve never experienced a drought like this before—normal rainfall but with very little snow in the mountains,” Department of Ecology Director Maia Bellon said in a written statement. “We’re engaging now with farmers, irrigation districts and partners in the state, tribal and local governments to prepare for the hardships ahead.”
DOE has requested $9 million from the Legislature to provide water for farmers, fish and cities. Lawmakers have not yet appropriated the money, though DOE says it has $2 million available now to begin planning drought relief measures.
Source: www.capitalpress.com