Drought is Taking a Toll
By Jim Palmer Jr.

The other day I rode around a horse pasture in an ORV, and was discouraged to see that the grass is prematurely dried up and gone.  Of course this extreme drought is taking a huge toll on agriculture but it is also becoming stressful for homeowners who worry about the threat of forest fires and are struggling to keep grass and gardens alive.  Many lawns in the area have already given up the ghost.  The green is retreating and the brown and dust is taking over.  Wells that once produced enough irrigation water for yard and garden are low and attempts at rationing haven’t seemed to help because the water is just not there.

A recent sale flubbed because a buyer was frightened when a flow test on a deep well revealed a lower flow than the well log had indicated.  The buyer worried that the flow (just below 2gpm) would not be sufficient to support the needs of their desired new home at that site.  This story is not unique for what is currently happening in the Inland Northwest. We are living in a time when development needs are pressed to the limit and critical resources such as well water are at a premium.

Even though skittish buyers should be concerned and careful about water availability, some attitudes of the past have stoked that level of fear for many who otherwise may not be so fearful.  In Washington State the RCW concerning water quantity states that “A water system must be able to produce a minimum of 800 gallons per day per residence.  This is a minimum quantity and does not include water needed for fire protection, irrigation or other uses.“  It goes on to state, “To meet this minimum requirement, 1) a pump test must show a minimum of 0.55 gallons per minute OR 2) an air test or bailer test must show a minimum of 1.0 gallon per minute”.  To most of us that does not seem like much water at all! 

To add additional perspective, the maximum usage allowed in most counties of the state is 5,000 gallons per day.  In other words if your well pumped 3.5 gallons per minute for a 24 hour period you would be at the specified legal limit.   In addition to that amount for domestic household use, well owners are allowed to water up to ½ acre of lawn and garden and unlimited amount for livestock watering.  The drought is taking a toll, but will soon pass and we’ll be cursing the snow instead!