The El Niño summer is taking its full grip on the Evergreen State as the state’s Department of Ecology has declared a drought emergency for watersheds in 12 counties in western and eastern Washington.
A drought emergency may be declared statewide or for a more limited geographic area, like a watershed or county. A drought emergency means water supply is projected to be below 75 percent of average, and there is a risk of undue hardship to water users and uses.
The counties facing drought emergencies include Benton, Clallam, Columbia, Jefferson, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Skagit, Snohomish, Walla Walla, Whatcom and Yakima.
Currently, most of Thurston County and the area Yelm is in is considered to be in a moderate drought.
A drought emergency authorizes the state to process expedited emergency water right permit requests. Emergency relief funding may also be available. The state declared drought emergencies in 2015, 2019 and 2021.
Most of the waterways in Washington are expected to be at less than three-quarters of their typical flows this summer and hot weather drags on. El Niño will also bring tropical air up to the Northwest this winter, meaning a warmer, drier winter that could reduce Washington’s snowpack.
Washington’s fire season, usually exacerbated by drought and hot temps, has been surprisingly quiet with only two major fires this summer so far: the 60,000-acre Newell Fire in Klickitat County and the 10,000 acres Eagle Bluff County in Okanogan County.
Planning For Disaster
The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is seeking public feedback on the proposed actions for disaster management. Paul Brewster, senior planner, is managing the project.
“The plan is a long-term multi-jurisdictional investment strategy,” Brewster said. “It will guide decisions about projects that can protect lives, improve public safety and strengthen important infrastructure like bridges, water systems and communications. Prioritizing our ability to withstand natural hazards and adapt to climate change is foundational to making our communities safe, healthy and affordable places to live, work and thrive in.”
People can check out an online open house to learn about natural hazards, the plan’s actions and take surveys. TRPC is hosting the self-paced open house and surveys through Aug. 25 at www.trpc.org/hazards.
“We want to increase peoples’ awareness about emergency preparedness, inform them about hazards that threaten our communities, and ask for their feedback to help shape projects, programs, and services that can protect our communities’ assets,” Lacey Emergency Manager Ed Taylor said. “We will have preparedness checklists, free bottled water, stickers and a few other items.”
A FEMA grant is allowing Thurston County to update the plan. By law, local governments are required to have hazard mitigation plans and update them every five years.
For more info, contact Brewster at (360) 741-2526.
