By Conrad Swanson, Seattle Times climate reporter Oct. 2, 2025 Drought conditions east of the Cascade crest are so dire that state officials plan to cut off water for farmers, ranchers and more, something they’ve never done before. Reservoirs in the Yakima … Continue reading Unprecedented water rationing to begin in WA’s Yakima Basin 

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-04-16/california-tulare-lake-groundwater-probation SACRAMENTO — California water regulators took the unprecedented step of cracking down on one of the state’s major farming regions for failing to take steps to curb growers’ excessive pumping of groundwater, which has sent water levels into rapid decline and is causing the land to sink.The State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously Tuesday to place the Tulare Lake basin on “probationary” status for failing to adopt sufficient measures to address chronic overpumping. Continue reading California farming area placed on probation over declining groundwater and sinking land

Drought Response – Washington State Department of Ecology Including Island County Statewide drought declared April 16, 2024, limited exceptions for Seattle, Everett and Tacoma metro areas.  With winter’s snowstorms largely behind us, our state’s low snowpack and forecasts for a dry and warm spring and summer have spurred the Department of Ecology to declare a drought emergency for most of Washington. Ecology is making up to $4.5 million available in drought response grants to qualifying public entities to respond to impacts from the current drought conditions. Continue reading Drought declared statewide

In an unprecedented deal, a private company purchased land in a tiny Arizona town – and sold its water rights to a suburb 200 miles away. Local residents fear the agreement has ‘opened Pandora’s box’ Continue reading ‘Water is more valuable than oil’: the corporation cashing in on America’s drought