drought

Jim Willard shows “bud break” on an old block of concord grapes eight miles north of Prosser, Washington. The baby leaves and buds start pushing out to become grown vines and grapes.

This summer’s drought will plague farmers in Yakima Valley and Kittitas area

Anna King

Farmers in the Yakima and Kittitas valleys will be some of the hardest hit by Washington state’s declared drought. They might only get about 54% of their normal water this summer.

An image of a water dam with flowing water with heels in the background.

Environment

Rivers are the West’s largest source of clean energy. What happens when drought strikes?

Syris Valentine

With rivers across the West running low, utilities must get creative if they are to meet demand without increasing emissions.

A map of Washington state counties with four drought emergency areas colored in orange spanning a dozen counties.

Environment

Washington state declares drought emergencies in a dozen counties

The Associated Press

Washington state officials have declared a drought emergency in a dozen counties because of early snowmelt, a lack of spring rain and low-flowing streams.

A two decade-long drought on the Colorado River is drying up reservoirs. Droughts there and in California are bringing new scrutiny to the way Western states decide whose water allotment gets cut back.

A racist past and hotter future are testing Western water like never before

Lauren Sommer

In Western states, the older a water claim, the more secure it is during a drought. Tribes have long been excluded from that system and now, they're pushing for change.

Wildflowers are on full display at a popular recreation spot in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Aug. 26, 2021.

Arts & Culture

When planting a meadow, heed conditions in your garden, yard

The Associated Press

Wildflower meadows have been growing in popularity among gardeners, and for good reason. They’re low-maintenance and drought-tolerant. They provide food for birds, insects and other wildlife. And they’re pretty.

Left: Hopi red amaranth grows in starter trays in a greenhouse at Sakari Farms in Tumalo, Ore. Right: Sakari Farms owner and Indigenous agriculturalist Upingaksraq Spring Alaska Schreiner. Schreiner is growing traditional crops during Central Oregon's historic drought.

Agriculture

Indigenous farmer seeks solutions in drought-plagued Central Oregon

Bradley W. Parks

Upingaksraq Spring Alaska Schreiner is finding innovative ways to continue her native plant business and seed sharing in the face of water shortages. The plants’ resilience and that of the people who have grown those plants since time immemorial give Schreiner confidence — even in the face of Oregon’s drier future.

A map of Washington's counties show the five watersheds in "drought emergency" status in red and all other counties east of the Cascade Range in yellow for “drought advisory” status. The counties west of the Cascade Range are gray because they no longer fall under drought conditions.

Environment

State keeps drought emergency status in parts of 8 counties

The Associated Press

Despite a cool and wet spring, the Washington Department of Ecology has extended a drought emergency declaration for watersheds in eight eastern Washington counties effective June 1. Under Thursday's declaration, five watersheds spanning parts of Spokane, Lincoln, Grant, Adams, Whitman, Stevens, Okanogan and Pend Oreille counties will remain in “drought emergency” status.

Ted Bowman, design engineer with Tsunami Products on Liberty Lake, Washington, installs a unit in homeowner Don Johnson's backyard in Benicia, California, on Sept. 28, 2021. The recent invention can make water out of the air, and in parched California, some homeowners are already buying the pricey devices. The air-to-water systems work like air conditioners by using coils to chill air, then collect water drops in a basin.

Environment

In parched U.S. West, people turn to machines that make water out of air

Haven Daley

Some residents in the drought-parched U.S. West are turning to pricey machines that developers say can produce hundreds of gallons of water a day, literally out of thin air. A Washington company is playing a part in that.

Environment

Drought emergency declared in Washington state

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday declared a statewide drought emergency because of hot, dry conditions that have plagued the region and water…

News

No Drought Warnings In Northwest For First Time Since 2011

Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — For the first time since 2011, the Pacific Northwest isn't showing any signs of drought.The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that…