Washington declares statewide drought for fourth straight year

Washington's Department of Ecology declared a statewide drought emergency Wednesday, the fourth consecutive year part or all of the state has faced water shortages. Director Casey Sixkiller says every watershed has dropped below 75% of normal supply despite an above-average wet winter. Mountain snowpack sits at half normal levels as warmer temperatures turned snow to rain. The declaration unlocks $3 million in response grants and expedites emergency water permits, but officials warn the funding falls short of needs. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/our-new-normal-wa-confronts-another-year-of-drought/ #WashingtonDrought #WaterCrisis #ClimateChange #Agriculture #Wildfire