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Department of Ecology News Release - March 26, 2001
01-047
OLYMPIA - Following is the Department of Ecology's weekly report about the status of drought conditions, assistance being provided by state agencies, and what citizens can do or are doing to conserve and share water.
Ground-water update Like lakes and rivers, underground water also may experience low water levels during this summer's drought.Many cities in Washington rely partially or entirely on ground water for drinking water, and tens of thousands of homeowners have small individual wells to supply their homes and yards with water. In Western Washington, about 65 percent of the people's drinking water comes from aquifers; in Eastern Washington, it's about 85 percent.
Water levels in wells can be dramatically affected by droughts. During the drought in 1994, ground-water levels the Yakima basin declined by two to 20 feet. Once the water level in an aquifer has been lowered, it can take several years to recover through the normal recharge process.
During a drought, homeowners should closely monitor their wells to determine if the water level is declining. If the water level in a well drops to the point where the pump is set, the homeowner may experience air or increased sand in the drinking-water supply.
To avoid trouble, people should first cut back on the amount of water they use. In some cases, it may be necessary to lower the pump in the well. In Western Washington, if the water level drops too far, the property owner may need to hire a licensed well driller to dig the well deeper. In Eastern Washington, most wells are already quite deep, and digging deeper may not help.
Maintaining a well is the responsibility of the well owner. However, if people have questions about the quality of the water in their wells, some local health authorities will test water samples for contamination.
Updated water-supply information
This year has been compared to 1977, when many low-water records were set. However, 1977 and 2001 actually unfolded quite differently, according to Doug McChesney, a hydrogeologist with the Department of Ecology."The water year started out much drier in 1977, but then we had a very wet spring - which has not been the case so far in 2001," McChesney said. "The likelihood of breaking many of those records looms very large."
Statewide precipitation for the first three weeks of March was generally between 50 to 75 percent of normal. While that is better than previous months this winter, the precipitation for the water year is still well below average, said McChesney.
How state and federal government is helping
The Department of Ecology is moving to adopt an emergency regulation that will quickly and fairly distribute $5.1 million in drought assistance to areas where it is needed most. The agency anticipates a high number of requests from people who want to sell or lease their water to keep it in streams to help fish survive. Irrigation districts and public utilities also will be seeking money to pay for conservation activities.
Gov. Gary Locke has continued urging farmers and cities that have extra water to consider making it available to others that will not have enough to cover their needs during the drought.
To date, two applications have been filed with Ecology to change or transfer existing water rights due to drought-related water shortages. One of those applications has been approved - for a neighborhood in Franklin County.
Ecology also has received two applications for emergency water permits from farmers who are seeking access to new sources of water. The department is obligated to make sure the water people are asking to use isn't already being used by another farm, business or city or could cause water levels for fish habitat to decline further. Under the drought emergency, a decision must be made within 15 days.
Department of Agriculture and Conservation Commission staff are working with farmers to determine who will need water and who might have extra water to share. Conservation Commission staff have made initial inquiries to farmers in the Upper Yakima Valley, and farmers have started calling the local conservation districts to find out how they can help and how they can get help.
Through the Employment Security Department, unemployment benefits are available to qualified workers who lose their jobs due to the drought. Applications for benefits can be filed with the department by calling local Unemployment Claims Telecenters or via the Internet at http://go2ui.com/.
Unemployment relief also may be available for employers. State law allows employers to request that they not be charged for unemployment benefits for their workers when the unemployment is caused by a natural disaster, such as a drought. Businesses may seek the waiver from the Employment Security Department after one or more workers file a drought-related unemployment claim.
In addition, the federal government is lending a hand to help Washington state during the drought. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is taking a heightened interest in Washington's drought situation and has been invited to participate on the Drought Emergency Executive Committee, chaired by the Governor's Office.
Conservation is important
Citizens can play a big role in offsetting the effects of this summer's drought.
"It may sound trite, but truly if we all do our part to cut back on the water we use every day, we will have more water for all of us - for drinking, irrigating, and fish," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. Some simple things people can do to help:
Taking a quick shower instead of a bath saves 20 gallons of water.
Turning off the water faucet while brushing teeth or shaving can save five gallons of water per day. If half the residents of Washington adopted this conservation measure, it would save more than 14 million gallons of water a day.
Using water wisely when watering lawns and outdoor plants. Outdoor watering uses more than half of Washington's residential water during the warm summer months.
"Nurseries, landscapers and home-improvement stores have lots of good information about how to maintain attractive landscaping with minimal irrigation," said Fitzsimmons. "There are drought-tolerant plants and super efficient watering systems available so those of us with green thumbs don't have to completely abandon our gardens this year."
Visit Ecology's Web site for more conservation tips: www.ecy.wa.gov/
CONTACT: Mary Getchell, Public Information Manager, (360) 407-6157; pager, (360) 534-8590
DROUGHT WEB SITE AND HOTLINE: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/drought/droughthome.html (Link removed 12/01/2003) or 800-468-0261
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
