OLYMPIA, Wash. – Governor Jay Inslee announced an emergency drought declaration Wednesday to cover nearly all of Washington State.
The Seattle Times reports the declaration signals that water supplies are projected to be 75% of average and allows the state Department of Ecology to take some emergency measures.
The announcement comes after over a month without rain and an historic heatwave that spurred a quick start to the wildfire season.
The Seattle, Everett and Tacoma metropolitan areas are exempt from the emergency declaration.