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April 8, 2016 CapitalPress.com 5 Water Drought officially vanishes from Washington landscape Evergreen State justifies nickname By DON JENKINS Capital Press After a winter that defied expectations, Washington on March 31 became the only one among 11 Western states completely free of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Climatologists predicted El Nino would cause a warm and dry winter in the Pacif- ic Northwest, making likely a second-straight “snowpack Dan Wheat/Capital Press The Yakima River flows past Yakima, Wash. in this file photo. Meteorologists say no part of Washington state is in drought for the first time in years. drought.” Officials foresaw the water shortage that affected farmers throughout the state last summer deepening. While temperatures state- wide were warmer than nor- mal, reservoirs and mountain snowpacks are generally above average. Long-term moisture deficits, particularly deep in southeast Washington, have been made up. In a summary of crop con- ditions nationwide, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported March 29 that some Washington farmers were de- laying tilling, spraying and fertilizing because of overly saturated soils. “Few fields were dry enough to start field work at the end of March,” ac- cording to the USDA. Washington State Assistant Climatologist Karin Bumbaco said Washington’s winter has given something researchers to study. “The scientific communi- ty is looking into it,” she said. “The forecasts were wrong in terms of precipitation, and we’re grateful for that.” Washington was last drought-free on Dec. 31, 2013. Even then, 82 percent of the state was “abnormal- ly dry,” according to the drought monitor, a weekly re- port by the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb. Now, only 7 percent of the state, a band along the Oregon border that stretches across eight Eastern Washington counties, is “abnormally wet.” “I expect that to go away,” said Bumbaco, a contributor to the drought monitor. Washington’s 2015 drought was caused by a low snowpack followed by the hottest summer on record. By July 7, the entire state was in a drought. The drought peaked in late August, with 85 percent of Washington in “extreme drought.” Two-thirds of the state was still in extreme drought at the start of the wa- ter year, Oct. 1. As late as Nov. 10, the entire state was in at least a “moderate drought.” Idaho and Oregon also have shown significant im- provements since Oct. 1. Oregon’s Weather uncertainty dictates continued Owyhee district starts water ing to reach into the 70s. improved need to conserve water, Calif. officials say By Capital SEAN Press ELLIS “It will take seven to 10 days for the water to get clear HEARDEN water outlook By Capital TIM Press ONTARIO, Ore. — Water to the end of the system,” Corn has started flowing into the said. “I think everybody will holding steady SACRAMENTO — Cali- Owyhee Irrigation District’s be ready for it by the time it By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press Oregon’s snowpack and summer water supply out- look remain much improved over last year, according to the USDA’s Natural Re- sources Conservation Ser- vice in Portland. Snow survey supervisor Scott Oviatt said a couple of hot days — temperatures on April 6 and 7 were fore- cast to reach the low 80s — shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. A lengthy stretch of warm days, however, would be a different matter. As of April 6, every river basin in the state was above average for precipitation, with measurements running 106 percent to 128 percent of normal for this time of year. The amount of water con- tained in the snow hasn’t quite kept pace, with snow water equivalents ranging from 74 percent to 107 per- cent of normal. fornia’s near-normal snowpack this year could be the best the state sees for awhile, meteorol- ogists say. One of the strongest El Ni- nos on record is weakening quickly and could shift to a La Nina by next winter, bringing more uncertainty to much of California in terms of snowpack and rainfall. Such a shift “is actually fairly common,” said Michelle Mead, a National Weather Service warning coordinator in Sacra- mento, noting that La Nina pat- terns typically favor above-av- erage precipitation in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Cali- fornia. “But just because it’s typical doesn’t mean it’s a slam dunk, just like for El Nino,” Mead said. The federal Climate Pre- diction Center puts the chanc- es of a shift to a La Nina by next fall at 50 percent, but “considerable uncertainty re- mains,” the agency noted in a report. While a La Nina could help Northern California’s key reservoirs, much of the Courtesy of Calif. Dept. of Water Resources California Council on Science and Technology Fellows Dan Brum- baugh, John Thompson and Sarah Carville join Frank Gehrke, state Department of Water Resources snow surveys chief, at the fourth manual snow survey March 30 at a mountain station about 90 miles east of Sacramento. rest of the state could remain dry. With more uncertainty loom- ing, state officials are urging Californians to enjoy the snow- capped mountains and full res- ervoirs they’re seeing this spring but continue to conserve water for an ongoing drought. In his fourth manual snow survey of the season March 30, state Department of Water Resources snow surveys chief Frank Gehrke found the snow water content at Phillips Station, about 90 miles east of Sacra- mento, to be 97 percent of nor- mal for the date. Statewide, the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is 87 percent of average. As April 1 is considered to be the peak for snowpack be- fore higher spring temperatures cause the snow to melt, con- ditions now are about as good as they’ll get this year, officials cautioned. “This was a dry, dusty field last year, so it’s a big improve- ment from last year,” Gehrke told reporters at Phillips Sta- tion after conducting his sur- vey, the results of which were consistent with other manual snow survey sites around the state. 400 miles of canals, laterals and ditches a week earlier than planned. OID board members decid- ed to start the system on April 4 rather than April 11 in part because persistent high winds have dried soils and a lot of farmers have already plant- ed, said district manager Jay Chamberlin. “We figured if we waited until the 11th, we would be be- hind the eight ball,” he said. OID provides irrigation wa- ter for 1,800 farms and 118,000 acres in Eastern Oregon and part of southwestern Idaho. OID board member and farmer Frank Ausman said there are spots on the system near Adrian with lighter soils that dry out quicker than other soil in the area. “Those guys have a lot planted and they’re needing a drink,” he said. That area near Adrian didn’t receive some of the rainstorms other areas did, said farmer and OID board member Bruce Corn. Temperatures are also start- comes.” The board set the 2016 allot- ment for OID patrons at an ini- tial 3 acre-feet but it’s expected to increase as the Owyhee Res- ervoir continues to fill. The board opted not to in- crease the allotment during its March 30 meeting, Chamberlin said, in part because reservoir in-flow levels decreased a little bit recently as cooler tempera- tures slowed the pace of snow melt. Corn said board members are conservative on where they set the allotment. “It’s easy to raise it but if we over-allocate and then have to lower it, that would be difficult on people who have already made plans,” he said. Corn anticipates the allot- ment will be increased April 19 during the board’s regular monthly meeting but he said it’s too soon to say whether patrons will receive their full 4 acre-foot allotment. “I think everybody knows the allotment will be increased some amount. How much still remains to be seen,” he said. 15-2/#4N