Washington's Roza Irrigation District to receive roughly half of normal water supplies
6/3/2024 10:36:30 AM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
Plants & Wildlife
Relief, Response & Restrictions
Society & Public Health
Water Supply & Quality
AFFECTED AREAS:
Benton County, WA
Benton City, WA
Yakima County, WA
Grandview, WA
Granger, WA
Moxee City, WA
Selah, WA
Sunnyside, WA
Zillah, WA
Start Date: 5/22/2024
- End Date: 12/31/2024
Growers in the Roza Irrigation District in the Yakima River Basin were anticipating 46% to 54% of normal water supplies this year as the year’s snowpack was well below normal. The district drained its irrigation canal for 10 days in late May, effectively leaving them dry for that length of time to reserve water for the hot, dry summer months.
One farmer had to choose which crops to leave without water and opted to pull out some wine grapes and to stop watering other grapes. He is losing about 15% to 20% in production acreage and will likely see an increase of roughly 15% in labor costs. He acknowledged that the situation was stressful.
The district's emergency fund of $4.1 million for drought years has already been exhausted, so they tapped next year’s operating budget, but still need more money. The Roza district is looking to Washington’s Department of Ecology for assistance.
The Seattle Times (Wash.), June 3, 2024
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