Drought 2026

Department of Ecology Declares Statewide Drought Emergency Due to Near-Record Low Snowpack

On April 8, The Washington Department of Ecology declared a statewide drought emergency. This is the fourth year in a row that at least a portion of Washington State has been in a drought emergency. After a warm winter left Washington’s mountains largely bare this spring, projected water supplies are likely to fall far short of the state’s summer demand. 

2026 Drought Map Washington State

This is the fourth year in a row that part or all of Washington will be under a drought declaration, and it is the fourth statewide drought emergency since 2015. Seven of the past 10 years have seen drought in parts or all of the state.

The drought emergency comes despite a wet winter that delivered 104 percent of normal precipitation from October to February. Too much of that precipitation fell as rain instead of snow, leaving the state with about half of its usual snowpack. Looking ahead, long-term weather forecast predicts above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation through June.

Washington relies on deep mountain snows to accumulate over the winter, then gradually melt during spring and summer. That slow snowmelt helps fill streams and rivers and replenish reservoirs. Without sufficient snowpack, rivers will run low and water temperatures will climb, creating harsh conditions for fish and other aquatic species.

In Washington, drought is declared when there is less than 75 percent of normal water supply and there is the risk of undue hardship or impacts on water users and the environment. Low snowpack and the impacts of past droughts means that the entire state has met that threshold.

This drought declaration supports the continued availability of drought emergency relief tools to water users throughout the state. Ecology is making up to $3 million available in drought emergency response grants to eligible public entities to respond to water supply impacts from the current drought conditions.

Publicly owned Group A water systems such as municipalities, water districts, and the like that are experiencing drought impacts should apply directly to the Department of Ecology for drought response grants and alert their ODW regional engineer that they are experiencing drought-related impacts. Please refer to our Offices and Staff webpage for contact information. Privately-owned non-profit Group A water systems experiencing drought impacts should contact their ODW regional engineer to report the situation and get information about accessing emergency drought funds through us.

The information below is for water system managers. For general information on the drought, visit Ecology's Drought Response webpage.

Steps to Take to Identify and Avoid Potential Water Shortages

  1. Monitor water levels. Some water sources are more vulnerable to water shortages. Surface waters, springs, and shallow wells are often heavily reliant on runoff from snow and recent rainfall for recharge. Checking source water levels frequently can help identify alarming trends and give you more time to react. Your local pump technician, Evergreen Rural Water of Washington at (360) 462-9287, or a large neighboring utility, can help you measure water levels. You can also find helpful information with our Measuring Water Levels in Wells 331-428 (PDF).
  2. Find leaks and repair them. Leaky water pipes can waste precious water. Help from qualified professionals on leak detection and repair is available through Evergreen Rural Water of Washington or a professional leak detection company.
  3. Educate your customers about water conservation. This is the time to stress the importance of wise use of water. Water conservation ideas for homeowners can be found at the Alliance for Water Efficiency's website. We have statement inserts/bill stuffers available for your use. You can order them for free in our publications database (use the publication number) or print them yourselves.
  1. Prepare a water shortage response plan. Thinking ahead and developing a plan can help tremendously when problems arise.
  1. Look for alternate sources of water for use during an emergency. Now is the time to develop a relationship with a neighboring water system. Work together for mutually beneficial solutions to a water shortage or get an emergency water source ready and approved for use. If you have not already done so, this may be an appropriate time to join Washington's Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN). This network allows water and wastewater systems to receive rapid mutual aid and assistance from other systems in times of an emergency. You can find more information on our WARN Response Network website.
  2. Have your emergency sources tested. Now is the time to get your emergency water source ready for use. For wells that have been out of service for a while, inspect the seal under the well cap to make sure it is in good condition, make sure there are no open holes in the well head, and there are no potential contaminants in the immediate vicinity. It is also a good idea to test for bacteria and nitrate. That way, if it needs to be sterilized, you can do it before the emergency. Additional guidance and requirements: Nitrate Sampling 331-222 (PDF), Coliform Sampling 331-225 (PDF)

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