Dept. of Ecology declares drought emergency for most of Washington state

[krusty]

I had suspected back in December from Snow-Water Equivalent (SWE) accumulations at that time in the '2024 Fishing Aspirations' thread
https://pnwflyfishing.com/forum/index.php?threads/2024-fishing-aspirations.6807/post-159001
that August would probably have low water conditions. Oh, and I am pleased to report that I have had some real good fishing in 2024!

Yesterday I spent some time in the Current Conditions for Washington_ Streamflow - USGS and National Water Prediction Service - NOAA (includes six day look-ahead for planning) websites for the rivers I have researched and fish often to check conditions and update my Favorites links after both websites' formats changed so the data I want to see is displayed with only one click. That includes full page, median, and previous year.

Sure 'nuff my fishing log records show the CFS for every stream I looked at yesterday except one tailwater is "too low", meaning fish were very spooky, holed up in the deepest (shallow) pools they can find and not very willing to take my flies on previous trips (probably all in August).

But rather surprisingly based on the December SWE, virtually (actually, I think every?) stream I looked at was very close to the median CFS and at a higher CFS than the same week in 2023.

The extended heatwave certainly managed to deplete watershed resources in rapid fashion....obviously the other side of the water 'burn rate' equation.

 

[JimTravers¤£a!!Travers]

Ahh whatever just hit the bar. Get a whiskey

 

[Matt B]

I had suspected back in December from Snow-Water Equivalent (SWE) accumulations at that time in the '2024 Fishing Aspirations' thread
https://pnwflyfishing.com/forum/index.php?threads/2024-fishing-aspirations.6807/post-159001
that August would probably have low water conditions. Oh, and I am pleased to report that I have had some real good fishing in 2024!

Small skinny water has been good for me, too, this year! I just needed more chances to go do it.

Yesterday I spent some time in the Current Conditions for Washington_ Streamflow - USGS and National Water Prediction Service - NOAA (includes six day look-ahead for planning) websites for the rivers I have researched and fish often to check conditions and update my Favorites links after both websites' formats changed so the data I want to see is displayed with only one click. That includes full page, median, and previous year.

Sure 'nuff my fishing log records show the CFS for every stream I looked at yesterday except one tailwater is "too low", meaning fish were very spooky, holed up in the deepest (shallow) pools they can find and not very willing to take my flies on previous trips (probably all in August).

But rather surprisingly based on the December SWE, virtually (actually, I think every?) stream I looked at was very close to the median CFS and at a higher CFS than the same week in 2023.

I'm not following your last thought here, sorry, can you re-explain? What do you mean by "based on the December SWE"? I'm not following you if you're connecting December SWE to December 2023 streamflows, or August 2024 streamflows, or what? Which time periods are you connecting to which SWE and streamflows?

 

[DimeBrite]

Only 2 months until the rainy season and a La Nina Fall.

 

[Mossback]

Can we just have a marine layer in the morning, and then low 70's in the afternoon first ?

 

[Brian Miller]

I'm not following your last thought here, sorry, can you re-explain? What do you mean by "based on the December SWE"? I'm not following you if you're connecting December SWE to December 2023 streamflows, or August 2024 streamflows, or what? Which time periods are you connecting to which SWE and streamflows?

Back in December 2023 the total precipitation and SWE (Snow-Water Equivalent or snowpack) for the Cascades headwaters regions of the streams I like to fish were around 70% of normal, and the predicted precip and snowpack for winter 2024 was also going to be lower than normal. So I was pretty sure that the streams I like to fish were going to have very low flows and essentially be unproductive by August 2024. I haven't actually been out since July 24-25 2024 but that assumption back in December 2023 was likely correct for August 2024 based on a comparison of CFS levels as of yesterday and my records of previous trips to those streams at the same CFS levels.

And again I found it interesting that the levels for most, or possibly all the stream CFS levels I checked yesterday were only slightly below median levels, but greater than the levels from the week of Aug 7, 2023.

The extended heatwave certainly managed to deplete watershed resources in rapid fashion....obviously the other side of the water 'burn rate' equation.

I also think and agree that @krusty was pointing out that, IIRC, the summer of 2023 had an extended heatwave that also depletes watershed resources, that also IIRC, started out with a higher-near normal or greater snowpack-SWE from the winter of 2023. But I was unable to get out much in summer - fall 2023 to observe and document that first hand.

 

[Matt B]

Back in December 2023 the total precipitation and SWE (Snow-Water Equivalent or snowpack) for the Cascades headwaters regions of the streams I like to fish were around 70% of normal, and the predicted precip and snowpack for winter 2024 was also going to be lower than normal. So I was pretty sure that the streams I like to fish were going to have very low flows and essentially be unproductive by August 2024. I haven't actually been out since July 24-25 2024 but that assumption back in December 2023 was likely correct for August 2024 based on a comparison of CFS levels as of yesterday and my records of previous trips to those streams at the same CFS levels.

Thanks for explaining!

And again I found it interesting that the levels for most, or possibly all the stream CFS levels I checked yesterday were only slightly below median levels, but greater than the levels from the week of Aug 7, 2023.

Yes, I have noticed this as well compared to last year for the Central PS streams I pay attention to most, that last year this time of year, was "worse" in many ways in terms of very low streamflows. They're holding up a little better this year. I think it has to do with groundwater.
We need more monitoring wells.

 

[JudyM]

Mt. Hood is going bald again, if I can see it through this forest fire haze.

 

[LBL]

Lots of talk about Cliff and the government and etc. I just went out and looked at the Sol Duc. Yep, not much water, especially for this time of year….. whatever that means.