http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_022405WABecologyLJ.dc5725ab.html

State officials not yet ready to declare drought emergency

01:00 PM PST on Thursday, February 24, 2005
Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Although the mountain snowpack in Washington is about 30 percent of average, the state Ecology Department isn’t ready to declare an emergency—yet.

Spokeswoman Sheryl Hutchison says there is still a chance the shortage could be made up in the last month of winter. The snowpack is where water is “banked” to run off later in the year for rivers, reservoirs, fish and farmers.

But another Ecology spokesman, Curt Hart, says the department is gearing up for a drought disaster if one is declared.

State Representative Bruce Chandler of Granger has called for a meeting with Governor Christine Gregoire to discuss a drought-preparedness plan.

The last time a Washington governor declared a drought emergency was 2001.

The string of mostly dry days is forecast to continue through the end of the month.

Seattle could have the third-driest February on record (after 1993 and 1988). Less than an inch of rain has fallen so far this month at Sea-Tac Airport—less than a third of normal. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Airport has had more than six-and-a-half inches of rain.


Here is where you can check on the snowpack:

http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/snow/snow.cgi

Looking up the valleys, you'd swear it was late June or July looking at what we left up high on the Olympics. Gonna be a rough summer for all at this rate

I am waiting for our power rates to go up.

the real effect for us will be several years from now with low fish returns.

Puget Sound Energy has had the dam on the Baker River totally shut down for over a week and a half...never seen that since we moved in here in Oct. of 03.

River is up just a smidgen this morning (couple inches), but we got a little color back in it...not Gin clear like it was. Might help the fishing a bit?

Bob: I bet that does make it rough out on the OP rivers. Pretty much funnels all the guides/fishermen into just a couple rivers, don't it?

It's a Humpy year too...hope there's enough water in late summer for them to get into the river!

Mike

Mike,

Just for clarification: Seattle City Light owns the dams on the upper Skagit River, Gorge, Diablo, and Ross. Puget Sound Energy owns lower and upper Baker River dams.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Seems I'll never get this right. It's like the wife telling me to "wipe my feet" when I come in the house..just never sinks in...

Post corrected.

Mike