YAKIMA BASIN, Wash. – The Washington Department of Ecology has announced an unprecedented halt to surface water use in the Yakima Basin from October 6 through the end of the month due to a severe drought.

The Yakima Basin reservoirs are expected to run dry after October 6, leaving only precipitation and Yakima River flows, which are insufficient to meet senior irrigation water rights, Ecology said in a release.

“We have not experienced a drought like this in over 30 years, and it’s forcing us to take actions we’ve never done before,” said Ria Berns, Ecology’s Water Resources program manager. “We know that restricting water diversions will impact communities across the Yakima Basin, but this is a necessary step to protect water for fish and senior water rights in the face of continued d

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