After several drought-ridden years, Washington state declared another statewide drought on Wednesday morning. State leaders called for improved water resiliency plans, as droughts become more common in the future.
"We expect to see more snow droughts in the future," said Karin Bumbaco, deputy state climatologist at the University of Washington. "On average, in the past, they happened two times per decade. Today, they're happening about four times per decade and by the 2050s, we expect to see them about seven times per decade on average."
April 1 is when Washington should have hit its snowpack peak, but officials said snowpack is below normal, and many basins throughout the state are facing drier conditions.
This snow drought likely means trouble for farms, fish and fires later this year. Officials also highlighted the necessity of longer-term plans for water usage within the state.
"This year's drawing focus on the need to build resiliency within Washington state's water supplies, the need to think about how we conserve water differently, how we build storage — whether it's above ground or below ground, and how we can ensure that we have water for people, farms and fish throughout the state," said Ria Berns, program manager for the water resources program at the Washington Department of Ecology.
Farming and fish impacts
In the Yakima Basin, junior water right holders are estimating they'll get just 44% of their normal water this year. They'll get a new number on Thursday from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which could mean they'll get a bit more water, said Scott Revell, the manager for the Roza Irrigation District. But if the snow melts early, there's no more rain and hot weather sets in early, farmers could see an even drier season.
Revell said it's unlikely farmers will have water from April 20 to May 5. The irrigation system will be idled during that time, which saves some of their water for later in the year."The irrigation season is also going to end at least three weeks early," Revell said. "There's a lot of gritting of teeth. There are a lot of ponds being dug, a lot of crops laid fallow and a lot of crops removed."
The Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District, the senior water rights holder, is trying to help out amidst the drought.
The district is helping fish by holding 8,000 acre-feet of water aside to do a water pulse, which would help flush the tiny salmon smolts out of the Yakima River.
For some farmers right now, the irrigation water is more valuable than the crops they could grow, said David Felman, the manager of the Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District. Washington's Department of Ecology is paying some farmers for their water, providing an opportunity to try to break even in a challenging agricultural market.
Wildfire worries
Fires are also a concern, as forests could dry out more quickly with little snowpack.
"Low snowpack is certainly not great, "said Thomas Kyle-Milward, a spokesperson with Washington's Department of Natural Resources. "It's one factor for monitoring fire severity. But late spring rains can certainly mitigate that, and we are too early in the year to be making that calculation."
But late-season rain can also promote the growth of light fuels that could bake out, and create an increased fuel load, he said.
"We're also really monitoring the situation," Kyle-Milward said. "A lot can shift in the next one to two months."
Copyright 2026 NWPB News (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
