Eastern WA water outlook has Kennewick Irrigation asking customers to limit watering

The Kennewick Irrigation District will request that its customers follow a voluntary watering schedule this summer as it keeps a close eye on how much water it will have to distribute.

If the water situation worsens, the schedule could become mandatory as it was in the drought of 2015, with penalties for violations that progressed to a $100 fine and water being locked off for the remainder of the season.

The voluntary schedule would have three watering days per week per household based on their street numbers. They would be asked to limit irrigation to 20 minutes of watering per zone.

Farms, parks and other land also would be under voluntary water-saving measures.

In 2015 before the household watering schedule became mandatory for the season, many people wanted to be helpful and followed the voluntary schedule, said Chuck Freeman, the retiring director of the irrigation district.

The Department of Ecology issued a drought emergency declaration for Benton County in 2023, which could impact the 2024 irrigation season.

For now the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects about 72% of its water allotment being available from the Yakima River. Recent heavy mountain snowfall increased their projection to more than KID officials had been expecting before this week.

For practical purposes, 72% is a full water supply, Freeman said at the KID Board’s Tuesday meeting.

However, early in the spring of 2015 the water supply was similar, only to drop to 47% by April 15.

By July homeowners were limited to 20 minutes of watering per zone twice a week to make the water supply stretch, later increased to three times a week, and a code enforcement officer was hired. All customers, not just residential customers, faced restrictions.

But the water supply also can increase with late spring snowfall as it did in 2010. Then the water projection started low but ended high, Freeman said.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation considers factors such as reservoir levels, mountain snow pack, precipitation and projected runoff to predict water availability for irrigation from the Yakima River.

As of this week the reservoirs that feed the Yakima River were just 38% full, which is 64% of average, but more snow melt is expected. Kachess was 30% full, Cle Elum was 32% full, Keechelus was 40% full, Rimrock was 57% full and Bumping was 75% full.

The snow pack in the Cascade Mountains that feeds the river and reservoirs as it melts is about 76% of normal.

Since the drought of 2015 KID has made improvements to help it better weather the next drought.

More of its canals have been lined and pipes have been installed to decrease water loss. Pumping stations also have been improved and gates have been installed to better help control the flow of water.

The district is preparing customers for this summer by posting tips on how to protect lawns, why brown grass isn’t necessarily dead grass and ways to conserve water at kid.org/your-kid/drought-information.

This story was originally published March 7, 2024 at 5:00 AM.