UNION GAP, Wash. — October 6, 2025:
For the third consecutive year, drought conditions in the Yakima Basin have reached crisis levels, prompting the Washington Department of Ecology to issue an unprecedented halt to surface water use starting October 6 and continuing through the end of the month.
The decision comes amid historically low reservoir storage and streamflows, with officials warning that available water supplies from the Yakima Basin reservoirs will be depleted after October 6. The new restrictions are expected to impact more than 1,500 water right holders, including agricultural users and local communities that may now face residential watering limits.
“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 drought conditions.”
The Department of Ecology emphasized that while irrigation needs typically decline in the fall, the current drought’s severity leaves little choice but to suspend diversions to preserve essential flows for senior water rights holders and critical fish habitats.
Under Washington’s water rights system, senior water users are entitled to their full allocation before junior rights holders receive access. With basin supplies running dangerously low, officials said only the most senior rights holders will continue to receive water.
“For years, the Yakima Basin has been a national model for collaboration and water management,” said Casey Sixkiller, Director of the Department of Ecology. “That partnership has led to more than $1 billion in investments. But the conditions we see today show that there is much more work still ahead of us to improve water security for the region.”
The department is working closely with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to monitor daily flow levels and will update restrictions as conditions evolve. Ecology staff will also conduct field checks to ensure compliance with the new diversion halt.
Water right holders affected by the restrictions will receive formal notification by mail this week.
For assistance, residents can contact Ecology’s customer service line at 509-575-2597 or email wrcro@ecy.wa.gov, including their affected water right number for quicker support.