Here’s how much irrigation water you can expect, says KID

Kennewick Irrigation District customers can breath a sigh of relief as watering season approaches.

The district expects to need no mandatory watering schedules or other restrictions.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is forecasting a full water supply in the Yakima Basin this year, with enough water for senior and junior water rights this irrigation season.

“We are currently expecting the water supply to be near normal,” said Chuck Garner, Yakima Project River Operations supervisor for the Bureau of Reclamation. “The reservoirs have been filling nicely through the winter and have above normal storage right now.”

The snow pack also looks good, particularly since in early February the East Cascade Mountains were losing, rather than gaining, snow, he said.

The information released this month is an early estimate, and KID warned that conditions such as unusually hot or dry weather could change the outlook.

Reclamation will provide water supply forecasts monthly through July.

This story was originally published March 12, 2018 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Here’s how much irrigation water you can expect, says KID."