Drought shows no sign of easing

Associated Press

SPOKANE — As another water year comes to an end, the state’s drought emergency shows no signs of abating. Its effects may be felt for years, officials say.

The state’s water year records precipitation that falls from Oct. 1 through the following Sept. 30.

The year that ends Sunday saw some of the lowest flows on record for Washington rivers, which are at as little as 50 percent of normal.

It was the lowest water year for the Wenatchee River, which had a record low flow of 302 feet per second at Monitor on Tuesday.

The Columbia River at The Dalles, Ore., was flowing at a 123-year low on Tuesday.

The state experienced its worst drought on record in 1977, but in some respects the 2001 drought comes close to surpassing that, said Doug McChesney, a Department of Ecology drought coordinator.

The drought emergency expires Dec. 31 but could be extended if precipitation is sparse this fall, he said.

"Certainly, next year, even in some parts of the state should we get normal fall and winter precipitation, we may still be in a deficit," he said from Olympia. "We dug ourselves a pretty deep hole. It’s not clear if we’ll be able to climb out."

The Ecology Department declared the drought emergency March 14.

Irrigation districts throughout Eastern Washington suffered as river levels fell this summer. The Rosa Irrigation District near Yakima ended its season a month earlier than usual.

Some water-right holders received only 37 percent of their normal water supplies so that others with senior rights could get their needed supply.

"We are through the most difficult months of this year’s drought, with the agricultural-irrigation season behind us," McChesney said. "Now we are waiting to see what the coming months hold for replenishing our water supplies for people to drink, generating electricity and for other uses."

McChesney said there is no indication that the weather in the coming fall and winter months will be unusual.

"There are no clear weather signs. It’s a very unsettled weather pattern," he said. "Where we would look for clear signals right now, it’s just not clear."

Even if a lot of rain were to fall, water levels in many underground aquifers have been drawn down so low that they may not recharge as usual, McChesney said.

"The Yakima Basin has one of lowest all-time carryovers, so you have to have that much more water to fill it up," McChesney said. "There is also evidence the Columbia system may not be able to recover as well. That has both water and energy implications."

At some Columbia River dams, drought-related conditions cut hydroelectric power production in half, exacerbating the energy shortage that led to the idling of aluminum smelters across the Northwest.

Dry soil conditions have impeded the planting of winter wheat in some counties, and livestock producers are running low on pastures.

Climatologists predict warmer than normal temperatures from January through April. That means precipitation likely will be rain rather than snow, McChesney said.

"There is concern that we’ll get more rain than snow. Snowpack functions as a reservoir," McChesney said. "What precipitation we will have will be in diminished quantity if there is not enough snow."