Kittitas County Cities Facing Massive Domestic Water Restrictions Due To Third Straight Year Of Drought

The Washington State Department of Ecology is issuing an unprecedented curtailment to water use in Kittitas County.

The action is being taken due to a third consecutive year of drought in the Yakima River Basin, which has caused historically low levels of water storage and stream flows, and has current reservoir levels expected to completely dry up by this weekend.

Ecology's restrictions will significantly limit the use of surface water from the Yakima River beginning Monday, Oct. 6, and running through the remainder of the month.

Surface water on the Yakima is utilized for a number of purposes, most notably for general domestic use in the cities of Cle Elum, Ellensburg, Kittitas, South Cle Elum, and Suncadia.

Although groundwater resources are the primary wellspring for domestic water in the cities of Ellensburg and Kittitas, surface water from the Yakima River is also used as a secondary supply, and is the main source for domestic use in the cities of Cle Elum, South Cle Elum, and Suncadia, while the towns of Ronald and Roslyn mostly rely on surface diversions from one of its tributaries - Domerie Creek.

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In response to the coming limitations, the water utilities serving the county's impacted municipalities have enacted extant contingency plans, including the use of any available supplemental wells, along with both mandatory and voluntary conservation measures, and coordinated public outreach to assist residents in reducing water demand.

City of Cle Elum Mayor Matthew Lundh released a statement urging his citizens to take full heed of the issue, saying, “Cle Elum depends on surface water as our primary source and these restrictions place an immediate strain on our system. While our emergency wells provide some relief, they are not a long-term solution. We need our residents to be vigilant about conservation.”

In neighboring South Cle Elum, Mayor Jim DeVere said of the impending crisis, “South Cle Elum shares in these challenges, and our community must come together to stretch limited supplies. Every gallon saved helps ensure essential needs can be met. We are actively working to improve our system infrastructure, but we must have water in the pipes first.”

The historic ebbs are set to impact over 1,500 water rights holders attached to the Yakima Basin, including many agricultural irrigators who are already experiencing marked restrictions to their usage limits.

When water supplies run low anywhere in Washington, state law requires many senior rights holders to receive their full allotments of the resource prior to any junior rights holders being able to access any remaining water. However, the current circumstances have seen water levels dip so dramatically, that only the most senior of right holders connected to the Yakima Basin can access any remaining supplies. City of Rosyln Mayor Jeff Adams also notes, "This is the first time curtailment has extended to pre-1905 rights basin-wide."

In light of the looming reductions, residents throughout the county are being advised to take several steps to assist during the shortage, including immediately ceasing all outdoor irrigation and non-essential water use; taking shorter showers; and repairing any plumbing leaks in homes, businesses, and other properties.

Kittitas County Commissioner Laura Osiadacz has also emphasized the critical need for residents to do their part, saying, “We recognize the seriousness of this curtailment and are urging every resident to do their part in conserving water.”

Ecology says it notified all water rights holders about the restrictions via mail this week, and that its staff will be monitoring to ensure that all required diversions from the Yakima River have been taken once the curtailments go into effect.

The agency adds it will be communicating on a daily basis with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to keep tabs on current flow levels in the Yakima River, and if there are any changes made to the planned restrictions, they will directly contact any and all affected water rights holders.