9.25.2026 October Water Supply Update

The Bureau of Reclamation provided an update today on October water supplies for senior and junior water users, forecasting a 100% supply for both.

Throughout September, Reclamation continued operating the Yakima Project in a manner that raised significant concern that available water could be exhausted before September 30, potentially placing senior water users at risk of a second consecutive curtailment. Despite those concerns, cooler temperatures and wetter weather during September provided much-needed relief and improved water conditions. As a result, SVID now expects to receive the water necessary to continue October deliveries.

Based on the improved water supply outlook, Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District (SVID) plans to continue water deliveries through October 19, 2026.

SVID plans to begin shutting down the Sunnyside Canal on October 19, with the shutdown expected to be completed by October 21, 2026. Some laterals and deliveries may continue to have water available for a few days afterward as the canal system drains and is dewatered.

Laterals 27.69 and 52.90 will be shut off on October 14, 2026, to allow construction to begin on this year’s ELIPS piping projects.

Growers should plan their remaining irrigation needs accordingly.

Naches-Selah Irrigation District, Selah-Moxee Irrigation District, Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District, and Yakima Tieton Irrigation District have submitted a joint request to the Washington Department of Ecology requesting that surface water rights be administered by priority to protect senior water rights through the full irrigation season, including October, consistent with historical practices.

Last season’s early curtailment of senior rights prompted significant concern among district board of directors and water users. Together, the four districts serve water to a combined 142,144 irrigated acres in the Yakima Basin and rely on earlier priority dates for water rights to supply their water users. The request comes during the basin’s fourth year of continued drought and emphasizes the importance of administering water rights consistent with prior appropriation (first in time, first in right) and the Yakima Basin adjudication, while recognizing the extraordinary hydrologic conditions facing all water users, including agricultural producers, fish, and communities.

The districts hold water rights senior to the May 10, 1905, priority date of the Yakima Project held by the United States. All four districts also have contracts with the Bureau of Reclamation making a portion of their supply subject to prorationing in times of drought.

The districts acknowledge that continued drought conditions have placed pressure on water supplies throughout the basin not seen in over 30 years, impacting instream flows, irrigated agriculture, municipal uses, and the broader regional economy. These challenges underscore the need for clear, consistent, and lawful water right administration to allow all basin partners to plan and respond effectively.

Under Washington law, water rights are administered based on priority date, a framework affirmed through the Yakima Basin adjudication case, consent decrees, and legally binding settlement agreements. The May 9, 2019, Final Decree, Final Schedule of Rights has each water right certificate showing period of use and priority date with other specifications of each adjudicated right. The districts require administration of their water right by priority date and for the full period of use, consistent with Washington law and the Final Decree.

Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is collecting information from irrigators in the Yakima Basin to refine their economic drought assessment for the 2024 and 2025 drought events. Alongside their partners at University of California Merced, they developed an anonymous survey to help refine their modeling estimates to best reflect real life scenarios.

Please take a moment to complete this survey. It will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes to complete. It includes questions about crops grown, the yield and quality impacts of drought in 2024 and 2025, and related decision making. The results from this project will help them communicate the magnitude of economic impacts to educate our decision makers and advocate for investing in drought resilience projects in the Yakima Basin.

After three consecutive drought years, planning ahead matters more than ever. This spring newsletter highlights water outlooks, fallowing opportunities, and system investments designed to support SVID growers.

By setting up an online account, you can quickly and easily manage your irrigation account, view your water usage history, make payments, and more. Our online portal is available 24/7, making it convenient for you to access your irrigation information whenever and wherever you need it. To set up your account, simply click the button below to start the process.