Author: Chris Czarnecki, Development Director
The Washington State Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency for nearly the entire state last week. Anticipating this action, our team has been planning a drought response program for this summer that will boost flows for salmon. The program will target watersheds that are likely to be hit hardest by the drought, such as the Dungeness, the upper Yakima, and in the Methow Valley.
This news comes as early giving opens for GiveBIG, an annual giving event where thousands of community members come together to make a difference. By donating to Washington Water Trust right now, you help us boost flows and support threatened salmon when and where needed most.
When you make a tax-deductible donation to WWT during GiveBIG, your impact will grow! The first $10,000 donated to WWT now through May 8 will be matched dollar for dollar to restore healthy rivers.
Your support empowers our team to carry out a critically needed drought response program that will:
- Be place-based with diverse community partners
- Establish agreements with local farmers to keep more water instream during critical times for salmon migration
- Coordinate river diversion “pulse flows”, bursts of water that are timed to help salmon move upstream safely
You can learn more about all the ways that your support benefits Washington’s rivers, streams, and fish in our recently released 2023 Annual Report.
You can now GiveBIG to save salmon during drought. Thank you for keeping freshwaters flowing!
