A warm winter triggering drought and stream flow concerns

Even though this winter brought above average precipitation to much of the region, our warm winter means poor snowpack in many watersheds, leading Governor Inslee to declare a drought emergency across three regions in Washington. Click here for map of drought areas and further information.

The Bureau of Reclamation and National Weather Service will be presenting the latest information and potential effects throughout the region at the Lake Roosevelt Conference on April 21st.

Lake Roosevelt is not the focal point of concern. Said Lynne Brougher, a Public Affairs Officer for the Bureau of Reclamation at Grand Coulee Dam, "Elevations in the Canadian Rockies are high enough that what was rain down here was snow up there. If you look at what's called the snow water equivalent, we're at 82% of normal."

Lake Roosevelt is at 1,255 feet above sea level and is predicted to remain in the 1253 - 1255 range until May 10th. "That's so we can perform drum gate maintenance, otherwise the lake would be higher this year," said Brougher. Click here for more Lake Roosevelt lake level information and forecasts.

Other basins are not fairing nearly as well. The snow water equivalent in the Olympics is 8 percent of median; 40 percent of normal in the Spokane / Coeur d'Alene basin, 10 to 30 percent in the Yakima, and 27 percent in Walla Walla. Click here for basin reports throughout Washington.