Major drought for Yakima Basin growers means paying more for irrigation water

(The Center Square) — A dismal snowpack for Washington this past winter spells a bleak water picture for much of the state. That has the Washington Department of Ecology declaring a new drought declaration. The Yakima Basin is in bad shape with a water supply forecast at 47% according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. That’s the lowest since 2015. Emily Tasaka is the Central Region Communications Manager for the Department of Ecology. “The reason that this was declared was because of snowpack, which was very very low this season,” Tasaka told The Center Square. “For junior water-rights holders, that is serious and this is going to impact them a lot this irrigation season.”