By Marcy Stamper
WDFW is warning that innocent-looking rock dams can strand fish, particularly where river levels are already severely low.
Officials who oversee water supplies, agriculture and fish don’t have to exaggerate to convey the grim conditions facing Washington as a result of a prolonged drought.
- Almost 99 percent of the state is classified as being in a “severe drought.”
- Eighty sturgeon, from 5 to 7 feet long — including breeding females — have been found dead along the Columbia River.
- Typically wet forests on the Olympic Peninsula are burning, with the largest fire on record in Olympic National Park this summer.
- Every county in the state is predicted to qualify for federal disaster relief.
- At least 30 irrigators have been ordered to shut their diversions.
“We’ve never experienced a drought like this,” said Maia Bellon, director of the Washington Department of Ecology at a media briefing last week.
Bellon noted that the crisis presents an opportunity for scientists and water managers. She said the state will learn from this crisis and plan for the future and for the changing climate.
“Wildfire season started early and energetically,” said Mary Verner, deputy supervisor of the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). As of July 17, there had been 747 fires that burned almost 74,000 acres. This week brush fires near Quincy and Monroe have increased the total.
The 74,000 acres is more than twice the area burned by mid-July last year (not counting the Carlton Complex Fire, which had just started), said Verner. DNR has helped contain smaller fires by pre-positioning firefighters around the state, said Verner.
While the weather has been extremely hot and dry, there has been relatively little lightning, Verner said. The majority of fires — by a factor of four — have been human caused, she said.
Parts of the state that are rarely touched by wildfire, such as the Olympic Peninsula and islands in Puget Sound, have also burned. It has been the driest May and June since 1895 on the peninsula, which received less rain than Phoenix, said Bellon.
River conditions across the state are at record lows, said John Clemens, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Readings from more than 300 gauges in Washington rivers show 84 percent below normal, with 44 percent showing record-low flows. Only 14 percent of the river gauges are at normal levels, said Clemens.
Most river levels in the Methow basin are at a third of their average flows for this time of year, according to the USGS.
This drought far outpaces the most recent droughts in 2001 and 2005. In 2001, 52 percent of reporting stations were below normal, and 41 percent in 2005, said Clemens. “It’s more severe and more widespread than in previous years,” he said.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) — and the animals and habitats it manages — is facing major environmental and economic threats. Stakes are particularly high for rivers, hatcheries and anglers, said Joe Stohr, the agency’s deputy director.
Fishing closed
WDFW has closed or reduced fishing on more than 30 rivers where water levels are low and water temperatures are high to reduce the stress on fish. This includes the Okanogan and Similkameen rivers.
The agency is deploying aerators and recirculating pumps at hatcheries to keep temperatures down. Some fish can’t be released because natural conditions in the river are even harsher, said Stohr.
WDFW has had to lengthen boat ramps at five lakes so that boaters can reach the water, and Stohr expects these measures to be necessary at more lakes before the summer is out.
Serious impacts on agriculture have been recorded around the state. Pastures in central and eastern Washington are short and dry, and grain crops are stunted on the west side. Orchards and vineyards are sunburned and suffering heat stress. Livestock are also suffering from the heat, according to Jaclyn Hancock, a hydrogeologist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
In the Yakima basin, hay farmers are helping by fallowing their fields so that the water can be transferred to fruit and hops, which wouldn’t survive the season without water, said Bellon. Cranberries, blueberries and raspberries have all been damaged by the heat, resulting in lower yields, said Hancock.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 18 counties, including Okanogan, as natural-disaster areas because of the statewide drought. Farmers in these counties are eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help defray crop and business losses.
The Department of Health is watching for impacts to public water supplies, particularly toward the end of the summer, said Ginny Stern, a hydrogeologist with the Washington Department of Health. “Our big message is, ‘What are you going to do if we have three more months of August?’” she said.
The Legislature has allocated $16 million for this year and next for grants to public entities to help with immediate water supplies and long-term relief, said Bellon. She said they expect the money will be enough for this season and hope it will also cover next year.
State climatologist Nick Bond said the early, prolonged heat wave, coming after a meager snowpack and a dry spring, has created dire conditions. Forecasters think the El Niño pattern could mean a warmer-than-normal winter with conditions that are also drier than usual, he said.
What you can do
There are a few ways that citizens can help. Rock dams, which people construct to create wading pools in the river or just for fun, can strand fish and prevent them from reaching spawning grounds. WDFW is urging people not to build these dams, to remove those they find, and to report any that are too big for them to dismantle. Call WDFW at (877) 933-9847.
People should also conserve water whenever possible, being conscious of water use around their home and gardens. Verner recommended that people practice fire-safe behaviors that don’t require watering, such as clearing vegetation from around their homes.
