A statewide drought emergency was announced this week by the Department of Ecology, including Whatcom and Skagit counties, ahead of what’s anticipated to be a dry summer. It extends the 2023 drought emergency and is scheduled to last into 2025.
A combination of warm weather at the beginning of winter because of the El Nino weather pattern and dwindling snowpack led to the decision, according to Ecology’s announcement on Tuesday, April 18.
Currently, portions of eastern Whatcom County are under either abnormally dry or moderate drought conditions, impacting about 50% of the population, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. While abnormally dry usually signifies when an area is coming in or out of a drought, moderate drought conditions are the first of the four drought categories.
Whatcom County residents should be prepared for an increased fire risk as well, Department of Emergency Management (DEM) Public Information Officer Amy Cloud wrote in an email to Cascadia Daily News. Residents should have plans in place for smoke and poor air quality, as well as considering water conservation methods earlier this year.
“There is simply not enough water contained in mountain snow and reservoirs to prevent serious impacts for water users in the months ahead,” according to the Ecology announcement.
In Whatcom County, officials are taking steps to educate the public about water conservation, with significant impacts expected for agricultural producers to outdoor enthusiasts.
Drought in Washington state is typically declared when there is less than 75% of normal water supply, according to Ecology. Streamflows in the northwestern part of the state are already below the threshold and the snowpack in the North Puget Sound basin is at 57%. In 2023, a drought emergency was declared on July 24.
By announcing the drought declaration in the spring, water users are able to get early information about the state’s water supplies and tools that could be used for drought relief, Caroline Melor, the statewide drought lead for Ecology, wrote in an email on Wednesday, April 17.
“With [the] current forecast for above normal temperatures and somewhat below normal precipitation, we expect these current drought conditions to continue or worsen this spring and summer,” she wrote.
Counties are eligible to apply for state money to ease some of the impacts from the drought. Up to $4.5 million is available from the department.
And while DEM doesn’t have plans to apply for the relief grants, Cloud said, municipalities, tribes, public utility districts and others in Whatcom County are encouraged to apply directly for the grants.
Crop yields could be reduced because of lack of water availability for irrigation and there are concerns about fish and aquatic wildlife that depend on rivers and streams. Mellor wrote that the department anticipates streams to dry up earlier in the mountains.
Mellor recommended backpackers bring extra water when in the backcountry and to be prepared with back-up options with lower river flows during the summer, especially in August.
Seattle, Tacoma and Everett are exempt from the drought declaration because utilities in the area have resilient reservoir storage and water management strategies.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
