Water availability in the Yakima Valley hasn’t changed for the past three months.
According to the Bureau of Reclamation’s June 2026 total water supply available forecast, senior water rights holders will receive 100% of their full entitlements this growing season, while junior water rights will receive 52%, a figure that has held steady since April.
Reservoir Storage Is Well Above Average
When it comes to storage, Yakima basin reservoirs were 94% full as of June 1st with 998,008 acre-feet, which is 105% of average. Precipitation for May was 57% of average, while the water year-to-date figure, which stretches from October to May, was 115% of average. And on June 1st, the snowpack was officially at 0%.
Reclamation has one more water forecast scheduled for the year but may continue to issue forecasts after July if needed.
The June forecast is based on flows, precipitation, snowpack, and reservoir storage as of June 1st, along with estimates of future precipitation and river flows. Other future weather conditions that determine the timing of the runoff and the demand for water also are critical in determining stream flows, the extent to which the reservoirs fill, and the water supply for irrigation.
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