Skagit County farmers challenged by drought, salmon protections
For the last six years, farmer Jason Vander Kooy has noticed a change in Skagit Valley's most precious resource: water.
"The last six years have slowly been getting tougher and tougher to maintain a level on the river for us to pump out of," Vander Kooy said. "It’s frustrating because we have all this water here, but we can’t touch it unless it’s at a certain level."
With less rain in the summer and less snow in the winter, farmers are turning to irrigation earlier in the year. However, drought conditions are worsening as focus on salmon recovery is increasing. Between less water and more fish protections, farming is feeling a squeezed.
"The river has to maintain a certain level for us to irrigate. Right now, it is below 12,000 feet³ per second. We are actually at 10,600 right now, so we are required to turn the pump off," Vander Kooy explained. "It puts us in a tough spot because the crops are growing right now. This is the time when the roots are shallow. The top layer of the ground is dry, so the roots are deep enough or long enough to reach that moist soil down below. Irrigation right now is very crucial. It’s tough seeing all the equipment sitting still right now.
The irrigation system Vander Kooy uses serves 8,000 acres, which covers between 12 and 20 farms.
Some irrigators there are subject to the Skagit Basin instream flow rule.
Washington's water is governed by a system of rights based on seniority. Older rights are senior to newer ones. If there’s a lack of water, senior water rights holders will maintain their ability to pump while more junior water rights can be interrupted in reverse chronological order.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/skagit-county-farmers-challenged-by-drought-salmon-protections/ar-AADfM1U
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