Roza Water Users:

The current snowpack and reservoir status does not bode well for water supply the 2026 irrigation season.  Without an improvement in the snowpack, we will be looking at a severe shortage again in 2026. The current forecast for the next two weeks doesn’t look to be providing much hope for improvement.

• Water in storage is 132% of average.

• Cumulative combined precipitation at the reservoirs is 117% of average for the 2026 water year to date which began on Oct. 1, 2025.

• On the Yakima River mainstem (Snoqualmie Pass arm) snowpack is 36% of average (down from 55% in early Jan.) and on the Naches River arm (White Pass side) snowpack is 48% of average (down from 66% in early Jan). 

• Snowpack is tracking closely to 2015, a year which ended the irrigation season at 47% supply (but was 44% in May/June). 2 or 3 decent shots of snow in the next 60 days would help a great deal.

• The first water supply forecast will be issued on March 5, 2026.

We have contingency plans in place for very low water supply in 2026. If the current conditions hold, we are facing at least one mid-season shutdown,  significant delivery restrictions and the season may not run into October.

Remember that Roza cannot move early season water to later in the season until prorationing starts. Prorationing began on May 20 in both 2024 & 2025, and on April 15 in 2015. There is no advantage to shutting the system down before prorationing begins.

Prorationing occurs when spring runoff tapers and the flow target at Parker (near Sunnyside Dam) is being met with releases of stored water. Prorationing only affects the junior water right holders (May 10, 1905 priority dates) and can occur when some of the reservoirs are still filling, but combined inflows exceed combined outflows.

As you make farming decisions for the 2026 season, please think hard about fallowing more land as hedge against another rough irrigation season with severe restrictions.

Scott Revell

District Manager

(509) 840-2721 cell