Water Supply Update — time to start thinking about water supplies in 2024
Get used to the words “warm and dry” If you are reading this, odds are good it’s raining. For some reason, anytime we publish a blog about drought, it rains. (And, sure enough, there is rain in the forecast across much of Washington this week.) Don’t be fooled. Your lawn may be soaking up a […]
‘The Blob’ is back! Here’s what that means for both salmon and winter sports in the PNW
Fri, September 1, 2023 at 10:42 AM PDT·2 min read “The Blob” is back — that swath of warm water in the northeast Pacific Ocean that can affect Washington state’s weather, ecology and economy. Its appearance from 2013-2016 was blamed for the death of 1 million seabirds and had other environmental effects, according to the National Oceanic […]
Reclamation begins Yakima Project “Flip-Flop” Operations
Public should exercise increased caution around Yakima basin rivers https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4602?filterBy=region®ion=Columbia-Pacific%20Northwest Media Contact: Marc Ayalin 208-378-6203 mayalin@usbr.gov For Release: Aug 15, 2023
Hot Weather Watering Tips
With the hot weather KID encourages its water users to follow these watering tips:
Ecology declares drought emergency in 12 counties
OLYMPIA – Early snowmelt, a lack of spring rain and low streamflows have prompted the Washington Department of Ecology to declare a drought emergency for watersheds in 12 counties throughout the state. Counties affected by the drought declaration include Benton, Clallam, Columbia, Jefferson, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Skagit, Snohomish, Walla Walla, Whatcom and Yakima. The rest of […]
Reclamation releases Yakima basin July water supply forecast
Media Contact: Marc Ayalin 208-378-6203 mayalin@usbr.gov For Release: Jul 6, 2023 https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4575?filterBy=region®ion=Columbia-Pacific%20Northwest YAKIMA, Wash. – The Bureau of Reclamation’s July 2023 water supply forecast for the Yakima basin indicates the water supply would provide senior water rights 100% of entitlements and junior water rights 72% of entitlements for the June–September total available water supply. Prorationing began June 1 and will apply […]
Statewide Drought Advisory Issued for Washington
https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Who-we-are/News/2023/5-July-Statewide-drought-advisory-issued-for-Washi Dry, warm conditions in late spring lead to early runoff and water supply concerns OLYMPIA – The warmest May on record coupled with an abnormally dry spring and early summer have resulted in quickly declining water supplies and have prompted the Department of Ecology to issue a statewide drought advisory. “Our warm weather arrived a few […]
Reclamation releases Yakima basin mid-June water supply forecast
Media Contact: Marc Ayalin 208-378-6203 mayalin@usbr.gov For Release: Jun 16, 2023 YAKIMA, Wash. – The Bureau of Reclamation has performed a special mid-June evaluation of the total water supply available forecast for the Yakima basin. The June–September total water supply available provides senior water rights 100% of entitlements and junior water rights 73% of entitlements (a decline from 77%). Prorationing began […]
French Fry Capital: How Othello, WA, became the largest producer of frozen potato products
Capital Press – Friday, 6/9. Full the full article, click here.
Farming Still Crucial to Basin Employment
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2023/mar/22/farming-still-crucial-basin-employment/ Don Meseck, left, a labor economist for the Washington State Department of Employment Security. Meseck is responsible for monitoring employment data and trends in seven Central Washington counties. Patrick Jones, right, an economist at Eastern Washington University and executive director of the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis, which works closely with the […]