After a winter that included atmospheric rivers and unfortunate flooding, it’s understandable to wonder: How could we still be at risk of a short water year?
The answer is simple: reservoir storage and snowpack must work together, and a slowly melting snowpack is what carries the system through the summer.
Reservoirs Start the Season; Snowpack Sustains It
Reservoirs can look strong after a wet stretch, and that stored water helps KID as we begin the irrigation season. But summer supply isn’t determined by reservoir levels alone. What keeps the system stable through July, August, and September is snowpack; but that snow must fall in the right place and melt at the right time. Together, the five storage reservoirs hold about 1 million acre-feet, but total seasonal demand is closer to 2.4 million. Snowpack helps bridge that gap.
Rain can move large amounts of water through the basin quickly, but that rainwater doesn’t function like long-term storage. Warm rain, like what occurred in December, melts the snowpack reserve too early, sending water downstream instead of holding it in the mountains to be released gradually later.
Without enough snowpack, the water in the storage reservoirs is all that is available to meet water needs, and conditions can shift back toward shortage and drought.
Location and Timing Matter
Not all snow helps the KID system. We need snowpack in specific parts of the Upper and Lower Yakima Basin that feed the five storage reservoirs we rely on. In addition, we need the snowpack to melt gradually during spring and early summer, when reservoirs are refilling and irrigation demand is rising.
What to Expect This Spring
Snowpack has trended below average this winter (as of January, 53% of average). Although it’s still possible to make up ground, we’re not at a point where we can state confidently that we’re heading into a “normal” water year. Additional mountain snowfall this spring is critical.
We will continue sharing updates as the spring outlook becomes clearer.
Lastly, KID would like to recognize how well our customers responded to drought conditions last year. With roughly 40% of normal water supply, participation in voluntary water restrictions helped reduce impacts. If we face another challenging season, continuing to contribute to the solution by reducing individual water use will matter again.
We’re hopeful snowpack continues to build in the weeks ahead. Thank you for staying informed and helping protect the reliability of our water supply.
For the latest drought information, visit https://kid.org/your-kid/drought-information/