YAKIMA, Wash. – The Bureau of Reclamation has announced that the August 2025 water supply forecast for the Yakima basin will not fully meet irrigation demands this season.
Senior water rights holders will receive their full entitlements, while junior rights holders will get only 40%, the bureau said in a release.
On August 1, the Yakima basin reservoirs were 39% full, holding 414,781 acre-feet, which is 55% of the average. July’s precipitation was 52% of average, and from October to July, it was 76.9%.
The August forecast is based on current flows, precipitation, snowpack and reservoir storage, with future conditions also playing a role in water supply availability.
Reclamation updates these forecasts monthly to reflect changing conditions.
Reclamation manages water in five Yakima Project storage reservoirs, balancing water rights, contracts and instream flow obligations.
Junior water rights, which make up over half of the basin’s rights, will share the shortages equally, the bureau added.
