drought

Most of Washington is experiencing drought conditions in summer 2024. 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. Thanks to our partners and supporters, WWT is boosting flows for fish at a critical time.

The WA State Dept. of Ecology has declared a drought emergency for nearly the entire state. Anticipating this action, our team has been planning a drought response program that will boost flows for salmon. By donating to WWT during GiveBIG, you support threatened salmon at a critical time.

In January, we welcomed the return of snow to the mountains. Since those storms, however, snow has not accumulated as we had hoped. While there is still time for the snowpack to build up, our team is preparing for what could be a dangerously dry summer.

In case you missed it amid all the headlines of wildfires, heat domes, and reservoirs drying up around the world, here in Washington our Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency in 12 counties on Monday. The rest of the state is under a drought advisory. This drought will be hard on Washington’s fish and we’re working to reduce its impact.