Welcome to the Kennewick Irrigation District drought information page.
For us in the Pacific Northwest, an El Niño year can mean a long summer and a dry winter. That could also mean more rainfall but less snowpack in the Cascades. These conditions can unfortunately cause droughts for our area. The Department of Ecology has already issued a drought emergency for 2023, which could require us to implement watering restrictions for the 2024 watering season. This means that you may be limited in how much water you can use to water your lawn. To help you prepare for this possibility, we have created this page with information on how to protect your lawn, why brown grass isn’t necessarily dead grass, ways to conserve water, and a link to our frequently asked questions.
We encourage you to read this page carefully and take steps to conserve water now so that your lawn can stay healthy even if watering restrictions are imposed next year.
Drought News
11/9/2023 | El Niño Has Officially Become Strong, NOAA’s November Update Says
10-27-2023 | Forecast says El Niño will be strong this winter. Here’s what it means for WA weather
9-13-2023 | Yakima Basin Integrated Plan – 2023 Drought and 2024 Water Supply Outlook
9-1-2023 | The Blob is back! Here’s what that means for both salmon and winter sports in the PNW
8-30-2023 | Water Supply Update – Time to start thinking about water supplies in 2024
7-24-2023 | Ecology Declares Drought Emergency in 12 Counties
Drought Tips
Retraining Your Lawn – Learn tips for preparing your lawn for a low water year.
Watering Tips from KID – Do you need a few suggestions on ways to conserve water or to landscape more intelligently for a drier climate?
Xeriscaping – The Benton Conservation District has developed a program to assist landowners with the implementation of Xeriscaping in the Tri-Cities.
Native Plant Nurseries and Grower Locations – A resource, including a list of helpful books, for anyone interested in planting native and low-water vegetation.
Plant Hardiness – Go here and enter your zip code or select Washington to help determine which plants will do best in your area.
Irrigation – Information for irrigators on fish screening, irrigation efficiency conversions and irrigation water management.
100+ Ways to Conserve – When it comes to conserving water, small adjustments can have a big impact. Here you can sort through nearly 200 water-saving tips, download and print tip posters or share your favorites on social media.
Watering Tips – Your local WSU Extension Service Master Gardener can be called at (509) 736-2726. Master Gardeners are usually available at their offices (5600 W Canal Place in Kennewick) from 10:00 a.m. until noon and 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
A Brown Lawn is not Necessarily a Dead Lawn– Grass is not like a tree. When a tree turns brown over the summer, it’s more than likely dead. Grasses, particularly cool-season species, are built to turn brown.
Dormant Grass VS Dead Grass – Can you tell the difference?