In the Yakima River Basin — rightly called Washington state's "fruit basket" (it produces about 75% of the region's agricultural output) — the Roza irrigation district for the third consecutive year has been forced to shut off water for agricultural use early in the growing season. This unprecedented step is intended to conserve water resources ahead of a summer drought that forecasters expect will be particularly severe. The district supplies water to roughly 72,000 acres of apple orchards, berry fields, and plantings of cherries, peaches, pears and corn.
The economic importance of the Yakima Basin is hard to overstate: its agricultural output brings in about $4.5 billion annually. In addition to apples and grapes, the basin produces pears, sweet cherries, hops for brewing, mint, sweet corn and asparagus. The unique combination of a long sunny summer, glacial soils and efficient irrigation creates ideal conditions for premium apple varieties such as Gala and Fuji, which are then exported to Asia and Europe. But water problems in this region serve as an early warning of how severe drought could become across the state.
The main cause of the crisis is a catastrophically low snowpack this winter, explains Roza irrigation district manager Scott Revell. Mountain snow acts as a natural reservoir, slowly feeding rivers with meltwater well into June. But this year the snow melted much earlier than usual, especially in the Yakima Basin and on the Olympic Mountains. About 80% of the region’s streams are not connected to reservoirs, so rainfall that could help is effectively lost. Building new reservoirs faces serious obstacles: environmental laws and tribal water rights require lengthy approvals, since dams destroy salmon spawning grounds. Disputes among farmers, environmentalists and hydropower interests have stalled solutions for years — the proposed Yakima Basin project, first suggested in 2014, still hasn’t been completed because of lawsuits.
To avoid running out of water over the summer, Roza shut off water for 10 days (possibly longer) to its 95-mile irrigation system. When crops can still survive a temporary dry spell, that strategy saves millions of gallons of water. Revell notes that this used to be a rare measure, but it has now been used seven times since 1994. He hopes to stretch supplies through the end of September — a critical date for grape growers.
The water shortage threatens not only agriculture but whole cities. Yakima, Union Gap and Sunnyside — whose water supplies depend on the river — face possible cutoffs. State officials declared a fourth consecutive drought emergency, unlocking only about $3 million in grants for emergency projects. That’s woefully insufficient: last year’s drought was so severe officials banned surface-water withdrawals across the entire Yakima Basin. In a hot summer, household water supplies could be turned off, schools and hospitals could close, and local residents are already being forced to buy bottled drinking water. Lawn watering is completely banned — a major blow for a region where average summer temperatures can reach 100°F (about 38°C).
Governor Bob Ferguson has ordered a series of roundtables across Washington to discuss both current problems and future challenges. Farmers’ main proposal is increased water storage capacity. But any infrastructure projects require huge sums and many years to complete. None will be ready in time for the peak of summer drought.
Climate change is worsening the problem: summers are getting hotter, longer and arriving earlier. Combined with the low snowpack, this means cities, farms, fisheries and wildlife in Washington are facing increasing water stress. Salmon spawning — one of the Pacific Northwest’s icons — requires cold, flowing water, but drought lowers river levels and raises temperatures. When the Yakima warms above 68°F (20°C), salmon suffer mass deaths from stress and disease. For the Yakama tribes, salmon are not only food but part of spiritual culture: their disappearance undermines centuries-old traditions. Even before the first day of summer, the region is preparing for serious consequences — from wildfires to ecological collapse.
Based on: Yakima River farmers accept early water cuts as drought deepens