The 2024 Drought
On April 16th, 2024 the Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency across the state of Washington, with exceptions for the Seattle, Everett and Tacoma metro areas. This year snowpack in Olympic Mountains was lower than average, a phenomenon becoming more common each year. At the end of April, the snow water equivalent in the Dungeness-Elwha watershed was at 49% of normal (NWCC 2024 (opens in new tab)). The Olympic Peninsula also experienced an unusually dry and warm spring.
More details of current drought conditions and impacts in Clallam County coming soon.
In the meantime check out Drought.gov (opens in new tab) for local statistics about current drought conditions across the state.
Outdoor Water Use
Outdoor watering is the largest use of consumptive water by far, especially in the summertime.
- The Department of Ecology estimates that in Washington at least 80 to 90% of residential of outdoor water use is consumed. In other words, most of water used outside is lost from the immediate water environment due to evaporation, transpiration or human consumption, rather than being able to recharge surface or groundwaters.
- Nationwide, over 30% of the 29 billion gallons of water used daily in households is for outdoor use.
- In drier climates (and during warm summer months) our outdoor use can be as high as 70% per household.
- In the Sequim area, watering a ¼ acre of lawn during peak summer months can use between 850 to over 1,000 gallons per day
What Can You Do to Save Water?
In the Lawn:
- Let your lawn go dormant this summer. When rain returns in the fall, your grass will turn green again, just like the trees and shrubs in springtime.
- Taller turf grass promotes deeper roots. The deeper the roots, the healthier the plant.
- Mow less to allow deeper root development.
- If you have to water grass, focus on watering outdoor deeply and less frequently. Ample watering is more effective than numerous superficial waterings.
- Place a shallow pan under sprinklers to help measure your depth of watering.
In the Garden:
- Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation losses. Like lawns, ample infrequent waterings is better than frequent superficial watering.
- Use trickle or drip irrigation systems if possible.
- Collect runoff from roofs or other surfaces for garden use. Learn more about rainwater collection here.
- Mulch! Use mulch around the surface of trees, shrubs, flowers, and garden crops to reduce water loss.
- Plant native, drought-resistant plants, groundcovers, and shrubs to reduce water loss in your yard.
In the Drive:
- Sweep it, don’t spray it! Use a broom for cleaning leaves and debris off driveways and sidewalks, rather than hosing them off.
- Drive dusty! Reduce washing your car at home, and if you must, do it at a carwash where water is recycled.
Conserving Water on Farms
Drought conditions are especially hard on farmers, who need consistent water to be able to grow their crops. Therefore is it extremely important to growers to improve irrigation methods and efficiency on their fields. We are working to provide more technical assistance to local growers across the Northern Olympic Peninsula to better understand water use.
This summer we have installed Watermark Soil Moisture Sensors on seven farms throughout the Olympic Peninsula. We hope providing small-scale farmers with frequent soil moisture data will help improve irrigation water management and understanding about plant available water and crop water stress.
Additional Resources
About the Drought:
- Drought Conditions in Clallam County
- Ecology’s Statewide Drought Conditions
- Elwha River flow conditions
- Dungeness River flow conditions
- National Water and Climate Center interactive map
Local Water Management Organizations:
- Washington Water Trust
- Dungeness River Management Team (DRMT)
- Clallam Conservation District
- Clallam County Public Utility District
- Jamestown S’Klallam Natural Resources Program
- Sequim Water Reclamation Facility
- Clallam County Dungeness Water Rule
Resources for Saving Water at Home:
- Water Conservation — Dept of Ecology
- Eye on Water Supply Handout — Dept of Ecology
- Washington Dept of Health Water Saving Resources
- Conservation Around the House –Clallam Conservation District
- EPA Water Sense for Outdoors
- Outdoor Water Conservation Handout –DOH
- Rainwater Collection
- Alliance for Water Efficiency — Landscape & Irrigation
- Low Maintenance Turf — OSU
- Guide to Mulches
- Selected Hardy Plants for Waterwise Landscapes — WSU
- Drought Tolerant Landscaping for Washington State (Home Garden Series)
Water Conservation Resources for Farmers:
Stay Tuned!
More information regarding drought conditions on the North Olympic Peninsula, water saving tips for homeowners, resources for farmers, and events coming soon!