Author: James Kraft, Executive Director
Over the past two years, we have shared updates on the increasing drought conditions in Washington. Twelve counties were under a drought emergency in 2023. Now, nearly the entire state is in a drought.
Record-breaking heat melted our mountain snowpack almost 50 days earlier than normal. Conditions in the Dungeness Valley are predicted to be the second driest since 1949.
WWT Project Manager Hannah McDonough monitors flows in the Dungeness River on August 21, 2024.
These conditions highlight the danger climate change poses to our rivers, water supply, and fish. But thanks to our partners and supporters, Washington Water Trust is taking meaningful action.
We have negotiated agreements with 15 farmers covering 1,352 acres in the Dungeness Valley. Critical water will stay in the Dungeness River in August and September—precisely when the drought is expected to peak and salmon return.
Our team is also coordinating four “pulse flows” with the valley’s irrigation districts. Pulse flows are bursts of water that are timed to help fish move upstream.
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and Washington Conservation Corps moved rocks and set up yellow aquadams to channel flows in the Dungeness River.
Our partners at the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe are closely monitoring returning salmon. Last year, these strategies helped salmon navigate key points in the river to better spawning grounds, and we are working towards another positive outcome this year.
Our supporters make this drought response program possible, offering hope for the river and the salmon that depend on it. Looking ahead, our vision is to secure long-term agreements that ensure reliable water for farmers and salmon in the Dungeness Valley.
We believe in a freshwater future where all can thrive. Thank you to all of our partners and supporters for standing with Washington Water Trust and making a difference for healthy rivers.
