Friday, June 18, 2021
CapitalPress.com 5
Drought
Washington’s drought increasingly ‘extreme’ How record-low water
supplies on Colorado River
could impact irrigators
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
The second-driest spring
on record has pushed more
than one-fifth of Washington
into an “extreme drought,”
the U.S. Drought Monitor
reported Thursday.
In
127
years
of
record-keeping, only the
spring of 1924 was drier
statewide, according to the
National Oceanic and Atmo-
spheric Administration.
South-central and south-
east Washington are espe-
cially dry. The USDA on
Thursday predicted winter
wheat production will decline
by 28% and rated nearly half
the state’s pastures and range-
land “very poor.”
Klickitat County rancher
Keith Kreps said the condi-
tions portended higher costs
for cattlemen.
“The price of hay is going
to be higher than hell,” he
said. “It’s going to make us
tighten our belt.”
Washington
overall
received half the usual rain
from March through May.
South-central
Washington
got one-fifth its normal rain-
fall, according to NOAA’s
National Centers for Environ-
mental Information.
“In my whole life, in 60
years, I’ve never seen the late
spring as dry. It’s unreal,”
Kreps said. “It’s pretty bleak
unless it rains all summer.”
By SIERRA DAWN MCCLAIN
Capital Press
Some 68% of Wash-
ington is some stage of
drought — from “moder-
ate” to “extreme.” All areas
untouched by drought are in
Western Washington.
The percentage of the
state in an extreme drought
increased to 22% from 4%
over the week before.
By some measurements,
some parts of Eastern Wash-
ington are nearing “excep-
tional drought,” the worst
category.
The three-month period
was fairly warm, but heat
isn’t causing drought, Assis-
tant State Climatologist Karin
Bumbaco said.
“Temperatures for the
spring weren’t terrible. This
is really a precipitation-driven
drought,” she said. “We’re
unlikely to see a big improve-
ment, especially east of the
Cascades at this point.”
Washington State Clima-
tologist Nick Bond said there
is no clear explanation for the
extended dry spell.
“I think the simplest expla-
nation is that it’s an extreme
example of random variabil-
ity,” he said. “It’s not even
an early taste of climate
change.”
Adams, Benton and Frank-
lin counties are in extreme
drought, as are parts of Aso-
tin, Columbia, Garfield,
Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lin-
coln, Spokane, Whitman and
Yakima counties.
Conditions may worsen.
The federal Climate Predic-
tion Center has forecast a
warm and dry summer.
On Friday, it issued an
“excessive heat” warning
for the eastern two-thirds of
Washington for June 19-20.
The advisory covered much
of the West, including the
eastern two-thirds of Ore-
gon and Idaho.
The dry spring followed
a good winter for building
mountain snow to melt into
rivers.
However, the areas most
affected by drought rely on
rain. “Unless you have irri-
gation, you’re pretty well
screwed,” Kreps said.
The Washington Depart-
ment of Ecology has cur-
tailed irrigation to 93 water
users in the Chehalis Basin
in southwest Washington.
Those irrigators are shut off
most years.
Magic Reservoir irrigation deliveries end
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
Magic Reservoir manag-
ers stopped irrigation deliver-
ies June 10 as expected amid
ongoing severe drought in
the central Idaho mountains.
Big Wood Canal Co. and
American Falls Reservoir
District No. 2 said on their
website April 16 that they
expected between 50 and
70 days of water deliveries.
Extremely low snowpack
and anticipated runoff con-
tributed to that outlook, as
did demand-stimulating dry
conditions.
Board members said the
June 10 shutoff came after
midseason suspensions —
and as the high-altitude
region failed to get meaning-
ful additional precipitation
or runoff timed to extend the
season slightly.
The board last year
stretched irrigation deliv-
ery to around Sept. 1, two
to three weeks earlier than
BLM
Magic Reservoir on the Big Wood River in Idaho.
usual. Snowpack also was
low in 2020, but Magic car-
ried over more water from
the
previous
irrigation
season.
This year’s delivery
started May 5. Board mem-
ber Ryan Telford, a farmer,
said service was on for 18
days, off for nine and back
on for 10 as managers and
customers weighed the
needs of the moment.
The shutoff hurt alfalfa
hay, pasture and small
grains.
“A lot of barley put in
will be chopped for silage,”
Telford said. “The econom-
ics don’t work, but it lessens
the loss.”
Robin Lezamiz, a board
member who farms near
Richfield, said he was hop-
ing to fill a brewer’s con-
tract. Instead, he ended up
chopping barley for silage
feed, netting a value three to
five times lower than what
the barley contract would
have paid.
On the other hand, he
wasn’t penalized to get
out of the contract, and “at
least I’ve got something to
feed my animals,” he said.
Earlier, he bought corn
silage from the Dietrich
area, served by a different
reservoir.
Lezamiz said he did one
cutting of alfalfa hay instead
of the targeted four. The first
typically isn’t the highest
valued.
Magic Reservoir con-
stituents had hoped snow at
high elevation in late May
and early June would give
them an additional four or
five days of water service,
he said. Instead, they gained
one day.
The U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation this month
announced Lake Mead, a
key reservoir on the Colo-
rado River, has dipped to
a record low, jeopardizing
water supplies for irriga-
tors, mainly in Arizona.
Lake Powell and Lake
Mead, man-made lakes
along the Colorado River
that store water supplying
40 million people and vast
expanses of farmland,
have shrunk to historic
lows, prompting the fed-
eral government’s first-
ever shortage declaration.
“It’s very concerning,”
said Patti Aaron, U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation
spokeswoman.
If Lake Mead, Amer-
ica’s largest reservoir,
falls below 1,075 feet, it
triggers an official Level
1 shortage declaration.
June 9, Lake Mead fell to
1,071.56 feet — its lowest
level since the lake was
filled in the 1930s, which
will trigger cuts to water
supplies.
Officials will likely
issue the declaration this
August, and cuts will
begin January 2022.
With farmers across
the West panicking, offi-
cials say it’s important for
irrigators to understand
whose water will get cut
and whose won’t.
Based on previous case
law and agreements, some
states and regions have
larger allocations and
more senior water rights
than others. In the Lower
Basin, farmers in Nevada
don’t need to worry at
all; those in California
don’t need to worry yet;
but growers in Arizona
should expect major cuts
next year.
Samantha Thompson,
spokeswoman for the
Nevada Division of Water
Resources, said Neva-
da’s share of the Colorado
River is used exclusively
for municipal, or city,
purposes, and any water
shortages “will not have
an impact on non-munic-
ipal irrigators in Nevada.”
In California, accord-
ing to Jeanine Jones, Cal-
ifornia Department of
Water Resources’ inter-
state resources manager,
the Level 1 shortage dec-
laration will not reduce
California water deliver-
ies. Even if Lake Mead
falls to 1,025 feet, Cal-
ifornia will still receive
its annual 4.4 million
acre-feet.
If Lake Mead’s eleva-
tion ever drops to a point
that triggers a shortage
declaration in California,
the Metropolitan Water
District of Southern Cal-
ifornia, with junior rights,
would experience cuts
first, said Jones.
Imperial County Irri-
gation District, the riv-
er’s No. 1 water user, has
high-priority rights.
“We’re actually for-
tunate we have so much
storage on the Colorado
River,” said Larry Cox, a
grower at Coastline Fam-
ily Farms and board mem-
ber at the Imperial County
Farm Bureau. “It’s the
reservoirs in California
I’m more worried about.”
In
2022, Arizona
will reduce water use
by 512,000 acre-feet.
According to Shauna
Evans, spokeswoman for
Arizona Department of
Water Resources, Cen-
tral Arizona farmers, with
lowest-priority
rights,
must reduce water use
65%.
According to USDA’s
Economic Research Ser-
vice, Arizona is the
nation’s second-largest
producer of lettuce, broc-
coli and cantaloupe. Cen-
tral Arizona is a major pro-
ducer of dairy, beef cattle,
cotton, hay, corn and bar-
ley. Cuts in Arizona could
impact markets for these
commodities.
Arizona farm lead-
ers say they also fear dust
storms reminiscent of the
1930s Dust Bowl.
Despite dour predic-
tions, Evans of the state’s
water agency said Arizona
is decently prepared for the
cuts because water users
have been preparing for
years.
Carlyle Currier, Mesa
County rancher and presi-
dent of the Colorado Farm
Bureau, said the situation
is “troubling, but unfor-
tunately not surprising.”
There’s an “urgent need,”
he said, for additional
infrastructure to store Col-
orado River water during
surplus to support farmers
during drought.
USDA to invest $41.8 million for drought-related conservation
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
In response to historic drought
conditions in the West, USDA is
offering $41.8 million to agricul-
tural producers through the Environ-
mental Quality Incentives Program,
or EQIP, to alleviate the immediate
impacts of drought and other natural
resources challenges.
“With all the emerging issues
across the country, this (drought) is
one of the big ones,” Terry Crosby,
Natural Resources Conservation
Service chief, told Capital Press.
Of the total funding, NRCS is set-
ting aside $11.8 million directly for
drought-related practices. A lot of that
is set aside for conservation efforts in
the Klamath Basin to address drought
and water conservation, he said.
The majority of the funding,
$30 million, is through a new EQIP
option, Conservation Incentive Con-
tracts, to maintain or improve existing
practices and continue the great work
farmers are already doing, he said.
The $11.8 million is through the
NRCS’s flagship EQIP program to
establish conservation practices to
address drought, he said.
The funding is available to farm-
ers and ranchers in Arizona, Califor-
nia, Colorado and Oregon, and the
deadline for applications is July 12.
“We have a suite of practices.
Some may need less water than
others,” he said.
It’s about finding what practices
fit, whether the issue is soil erosion or
water quality or quantity. Cover crops
can help with erosion, water quality
and water consumption and can be
established pretty quickly, he said.
“We can help producers in those
dry areas. We want anyone who’s
interested to walk through our
doors and talk to our conservation-
ists,” he said.
The agency is focused on cli-
mate-smart practices with resiliency
to reduce carbon emissions and soil
erosion, address water quality and
quantity and reduce wildfires.
“When you talk about conserva-
tion, a lot of what we do at NRCS is
about climate,” he said.
There are a lot of emerging issues,
such as drought in the West and
flooding in the South, he said.
“We look at how we can help
with emerging emergencies as
they’re happening,” he said.
NRCS is piloting the drought-re-
lated practices and the Conserva-
tion Incentive Contracts in a small
area this year and making more
funding available nationwide next
year, he said.
“We want to learn from this,” he
said.
EQIP is normally a three- to
five-year program with landown-
ers focused on reducing erosion
and water resource management in
which farmers can apply for finan-
cial assistance of 75% to 90% of the
cost, he said.
The incentive contracts are for five
to 10 years and roll into what NRCS
is already doing, he said.
NRCS will look at the cost to
determine incentive payments to
maintain already established prac-
tices, and that payment will vary geo-
graphically, he said.
“Costs of materials have gone up
so much, sometimes we can’t keep up
with inflation,” he said.
For more information about the
Conservation Incentives Con-
tracts, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov
or contact a local Farm Service
Agency office.
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87 
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
06/21/2021.  The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2019 CARRY UT
VIN = 4YMBC1427KR000722
Amount due on lien $1395.00 
Reputed owner(s) RICHEY BYRD
SHEFFIELD FINANCIAL DIV TRST BANK
LEGAL
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CHAPTER 87 
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be  sold,
for cash to the highest bidder, on
06/21/2021.  The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2017 GMC SIERRA PU
VIN = 1GT12SEG8HF165724
Amount due on lien $1875.00 
Reputed owner(s) MARK F BAVARO
OREGON STATE C.U
LEGAL
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CHAPTER 87 
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following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
07/02/2021.  The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2015 AUDI A 4 4DR
VIN = WAUHFAFL6FN007021
Amount due on lien $1255.00 
Reputed owner(s)
NANCY WESSINGER KLINE
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CHAPTER 87 
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following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
07/02/2021.  The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2011 INFINITY EX35 SW
VIN = JN1AJ0HR8BM851188
Amount due on lien $1255.00 
Reputed owner(s)
HEATHER S FISHER
OREGON COMMUNITY C.U
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CHAPTER 87 
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following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
06/28/2021.  The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2015 TOYOTA PRIUS 4DR
VIN = JTDKN3DU0F0450961
Amount due on lien $1435.00 
Reputed owner(s) TARL J &
ERICKA D HOXIT
TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT CORP
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CHAPTER 87 
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following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
06/28/2021.  The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2014 MERZ GL450 LL
VIN = 4JGDF7CE4EA351510
Amount due on lien $1435.00 
Reputed owner(s) EMMET L DOWNS
& RAQUEL A NUNNERY
MECHANICS BANK
S248175-1
S248176-1
S248177-1
S248178-1
S247120-1
S247121-1
S247125-1
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CHAPTER 87 
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following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
06/21/2021.  The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2017 TOYOTA COROLLA 4DR
VIN = 2T1BURHE7HC792313
Amount due on lien $1415.00 
Reputed owner(s) KYRA W KWOK &
MATTHEW R KEITH
CAPITAL ONE AUTO FINANCE
S247126-1
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2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2015 CHEV SILVERADO PU
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MILTON
FIRST INTERSTATE BANK
S248167-1
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CHAPTER 87 
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following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
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at 10:00am by 
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2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA 4D
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Reputed owner(s) DONGVILLO
CARLOS RODOLFO
S248170-1
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CHAPTER 87 
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following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
06/28/2021. The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
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2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
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S247122-1
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CHAPTER 87 
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
06/21/2021.  The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2015 TOYOTA RAV 4 UT
VIN = 2T3DFREV7FW321000
Amount due on lien $1395.00 
Reputed owner(s)
NINA W & THOMAS J
CHURCH-ADAMS
FIFTH THIRD BANK NATL ASSOC
S247123-1
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CHAPTER 87 
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be  sold,
for  cash to the highest bidder, on
06/21/2021.  The sale will be held
at 10:00am by 
COPART OF WASHINGTON INC 
2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR 
2019 JEEP RENEGADE UT
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Reputed owner(s) MADELINE
SERENA KAY