Mitigating
Drought
Overview
of Selected State Drought Plans
Washington
The Washington Drought Contingency Plan has several unique features. The plan is Annex Z2 of the Washington State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, and it mainly focuses on water supply impacts resulting from hydrological, rather than meteorological, drought. Water supply monitoring and forecasting responsibilities are given to the Water Supply Availability Committee (WSAC), which is chaired by the Department of Ecology. In Washington, the Department of Ecology is the agency responsible for water resources, water rights, and irrigation issues. The WSAC meets at least once every other month.
Most states use climatological indices, such as the Palmer Drought Index, as triggers for their drought plans. However, because it monitors water supplies, the WSAC advises the governor to convene the Executive Water Emergency Committee (EWEC), responsible for assessing the overall impacts from a drought and coordinating the state’s response, when at least one area of the state is likely to receive less than 75% of its normal water supply. It is the EWEC, chaired by a representative of the governor’s office, that determines when any of the 8 task forces under its control should be activated. These task forces assess the impacts of a drought and suggest appropriate responses to the EWEC.
Washington’s Drought Contingency Plan addresses two important issues:
pre-drought preparation and post-drought recovery and evaluation. Preparation
is important so that each agency understands its responsibilities before
a drought occurs, and the EWEC meets once a year to review the preparedness
of the state to deal with a drought. Post-drought evaluation is important
so that weaknesses in the plan, such as individual agency responses, can
be identified and corrected before the next drought.
Drought Contingency Plan (developed 1992)
| Author/lead agency: | Department of Ecology |
| Primary impacts addressed: | Agriculture, Economic Impacts, Energy, Fish and Wildlife, Forest Closures, Municipal/Domestic Supply |
Monitoring Component
| Committee responsible: | Water Supply Availability Committee (WSAC) |
| Committee chair: | Department of Ecology |
| Activation of component/monitoring frequency: | At least every other month |
| Conditions monitored: | Water supplies and forecasts, climatological data, snow surveys |
| Indices: | None listed |
| Triggers: | When one or more areas of the state will likely receive less than 75% of their normal water supply, the WSAC advises the governor to convene the Executive Water Emergency Committee |
Impact Assessment Component
| Activation: | By Executive Supply Availability Committee, when needed |
| Task forces/agencies: | Agriculture Economic Impacts Energy Fish and Wildlife Forest Closures Municipal/Domestic Supply Public Information and Education Business, Employment, and Community Assistance |
Response Component
| Activation: | Not listed |
| Task forces/agencies: | Not listed |
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© 2006 National Drought Mitigation Center