Inslee expands drought emergency: It covers Olympic rain forest

The rainforest valleys of the Quinault and Queets River, on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula, are part of Gov. Jay Inslee's drought emergency declaration. The rainforest valleys of the Quinault and Queets River, on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula, are part of Gov. Jay Inslee's drought emergency declaration. Photo: Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket Via Getty Images Photo: Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket Via Getty Images Image 1 of / 56 Caption Close Inslee expands drought emergency: It covers Olympic rain forest 1 / 56 Back to Gallery

Gov. Jay Inslee has expanded his drought emergency declaration to cover nearly half of the state, including famously wet valleys of the Olympic rainforest.

The declaration is prompted by a snow pack less than 50% of normal this time of year, the product of abnormally dry and warm conditions during the second half of March and much of April.

State Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz has cited early fires, some in Western Washington, while British Columbia has already dealt with a blaze near Osoyoos, just north of the U.S.-Canada border.

"This drought is a reminder that we expect 2019 will be a tough fire season," Franz said Monday.

Other signs of warming and dry conditions have been seen, and heard. Hikers along the Chelan Lakeshore Trail have reported early sightings and buzzing of rattlesnakes.

"As climate continues to change, we must be proactive in taking steps to plan for these impacts," said Inslee.

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The snowpack is a vital component to life in Washington. It supplies water for agriculture, powers hydroelectric dams, is vital to restoration of salmon runs, and delays (less nowadays) the start of the fire season.

The watersheds in Inslee's declaration range from the Willapa River in Southwest Washington to the Nooksack River in northwest Washington, which drains snowy regions around mounts Baker and Shuksan; the Queets and Quinault rivers on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula; and the Kettle River, which crosses the border three times in Northeast Washington.

One region is notably absent -- southeast Washington. While snowy west-side watersheds had lower-than-normal snow packs, snowfall in eastern Oregon was way above normal.

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The Governor's office delivered reassurances about water supplies in the populous central Puget Sound region.

"The emergency declaration allows us to expedite emergency water right permitting and make funds available to government entities to address hardships caused by the drought emergency," said State Ecology Director Maia Belton.

The 2019 Legislator appropriated $2 million to deal with drought response.

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Such impacts as longer fire seasons have become the Pacific Northwest's "new normal" in words of British Columbia Premier John Horgan.

A forest fire broke out in the Queets River four years ago, and a drought declaration hit Forks, one of the rainiest places in the "lower 48" states.