YBSA Monthly Report, June 2018

Published June 30, 2018 | By Jon

YBSA Monthly Report

June 2018

Water Supply: Dry weather means water rationing for some irrigators. Central Washington water supply isn’t looking as promising as it was earlier this year. Experts were hopeful a February storm that brought about 15 percent of the snow pack needed for the Yakima Basin would make up for an unusually dry November and December. But a warm and dry May increased snowpack runoff, and now much of Western Washington and the Yakima River Basin are abnormally dry, according to a state Department of Ecology news release. (Yakima Herald, 6/22/18)

Climate Change Precipitation Patterns: The water for junior irrigation districts hasn’t been shut off since 2015. The state has seen a pattern over the past few years where there simply isn’t enough water to meet demand. The Department of Ecology attributes the drop in water supply to climate changes, which are increasing temperatures and causing snow to melt faster, which results in problems maintaining the water supply throughout the year. The Columbia Basin – east of Yakima – likely will have no problems with water supply because it relies on water and snowpack from Canada, which saw record-breaking snows this winter. (Yakima Herald, 6/22/18)

Umatilla River Success: Decades after pumping water from the Columbia River to irrigate with and provide water for instream flow, abundant salmonoids returned. The record number of Lamphree are returning to the Umatilla River which is a great success story for the native tribes. See https://www.nwpb.org/2018/06/18/record-lamprey-return-a-cultural-win-for-native-tribes/ for full story. Could this happen in the Yakima River Basin?

SDEIS Comment Period & Information Web Addresses: The Kachess Drought Relief Pumping Plant (KDRPP) & Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess Reservoir Conveyance (KKC) SDEIS 90-day comment period ends July 11, 2018.

The SDEIS is available for viewing on the internet at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/eis/kdrpp/index.html and http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/eis/kkc/index.html

Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.

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