Facing low snowpack, severe drought, WA officials in search of answers

Washington is heading into new and uncertain territory this summer as dwindling winter snowpack melts fast, giving way to the state's unprecedented fourth drought emergency in a row.

To understand this burgeoning water crisis and find solutions, state officials must first understand the scope of the problem.

So on Wednesday, Gov. Bob Ferguson and the state Department of Ecology launched an initiative to bring together people from across the state who can help bring this ongoing drought into focus and offer potential solutions.

"The reality is climate change is here," Ferguson said in a video message during a news conference.

And Washington must take steps to protect its water supplies into the future, he said.

Throughout the summer months, state officials will have a series of roundtable discussions with local and tribal governments, industries, environmental groups, utilities and community members. These conversations will center on the challenges at hand, and ideas for new policies and other solutions to safeguard the state's water resources.

Water is life in Washington, Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller said during the conference. The resource shapes the region's landscapes, communities, economy and cultural heritage.

"These days you don't have to look very hard to see," Sixkiller said. "Our relationship with water is changing."

By the end of the year, officials behind this initiative - called Washington's Water Future - will write a report for Ferguson, including recommendations for the future.

The initiative is meant to be a proactive measure rather than a reactive one, Sixkiller said. The idea is for state officials to start acting now because conditions are projected to worsen.

The warming atmosphere means precipitation will increasingly fall as rain, rather than snow, over the Pacific Northwest. This rain can't all be captured by the state's scattered and relatively small reservoirs. Also, a hotter climate means what little snowpack does accumulate will melt faster.

Washington can expect more water when it can't store it all and less when it's needed to support fish, farms and communities, Sixkiller said.

Snowpack levels across Washington, which lagged throughout the winter, remain below average and are melting fast. Seattle topped a record temperature Sunday, part of an overall warming trend settling over the region.

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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 4:50 PM.