KENNEWICK, WA " At the same time that Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire declared a statewide drought emergency Thursday, March 10, at a Yakima press conference, growers across the state were busy preparing for the 2005 fruit and vegetable season.

Preparation this year includes, in some cases, plans for upgraded water conservation practices, possible reduction in volume and a watchful eye to the sky for any break in the prevalent weather patterns. Growers are also awaiting the April 1 report on snowpack and streamflows.

March reports from the Washington Department of Ecology indicated precipitation at or near record lows across the state, with mountain snowpack averages at approximately 26 percent of normal. In a special release, the department noted, "The emergency declaration immediately activates several tools the Department of Ecology can use to ease the effects of the drought, which include emergency water permits, temporary transfers of water rights and funding from the state?s drought emergency account. Ecology Director Jay Manning said that his department will focus on helping farmers, communities and streams get the water they need.

The department went on to say that Washington is "expected to have one of the driest summers on record," and the release cited the National Weather Service?s summation that some areas of the state have seen the driest winter on record.

?Precipitation and snowpack levels put this year among the five driest winters ever recorded," the Department of Ecology said. Moreover, streamflow forecasts made in early March predicted that most of the state?s watersheds will have between 22-50 percent of normal water supplies, "assuming normal precipitation for the remainder of the year. This clearly falls well below the 75 percent threshold for declaring a drought."

Gov. Gregoire said that while "water shortages won?t affect all areas of the state in precisely the same way, it seems very likely that all areas of our state will experience at least some level of drought this year."

The governor said that irrigators in the Yakima Basin are "feeling the greatest pinch at the moment," but even western Washington water utilities that have large reservoirs are starting to dust off their drought-response plans, and the outlook for fish-bearing streams throughout Washington is poor.

?For most areas, every drop of water we save now is water that will be available later when we may really need it," Gov. Gregoire said.

?Unfortunately, I cannot promise that everyone will get all the water they want," Mr. Manning said. "In some cases, we will be able to provide only enough water for people to get by. We will manage available water supplies the best we can, but we can?t replace what nature doesn?t give us."

Growers throughout Washington are taking the situation seriously, although many are more secure in their irrigation provisions and senior water rights than those with junior rights.

Additionally, certain crops stand to be affected more than others, with early crops less likely to show adverse effects.

Pat McDonald of Pacific Marketing International in Yakima represents several items, including asparagus, and she said she does not "anticipate a major effect? on the crop. "It relies on winter moisture, and we did get some snow and rain," Ms. McDonald said.

?I don?t expect [the drought] to affect it this year. Asparagus is an early crop, and it's deep-rooted. Lack of moisture this year might stress it, but I don?t think it will kill it."

In the Walla Walla onion district, Bill Brownfield of Keystone Fruit Marketing said that the onion crop will also likely escape adverse effects.

?We have sufficient water," Mr. Brownfield said, adding that irrigation is backed up by wells. "Water is very tight, no doubt about it. Most of the old-timers are saying they?ve never seen it this dry, but we have two huge rivers, the Columbia and the Snake, and the Columbia supplies very little irrigation. So Washington has many resources, but it's going to be interesting."

Most potato acreage is irrigated by use of wells, and Marvin Vietz of Jones Produce?s Walla Walla office said that the drought "won?t make too much difference." However, due to sluggish markets, Washington will likely see a cutback in acres this year, he said.

The state?s fruit grower-shippers are looking at the situation from two vantage points. First is the lack of moisture, but it is coupled with record warm temperatures that, at least in early March, seemed to have pushed the fruit season ahead by several days. Eric Patrick, marketing director for Yakima, WA-based Domex Marketing Co., said that his company?s approach to the drought is "to plan carefully right now. Much more will be known on April 1."

He added, "As a group, Domex doesn?t have current plans to reduce any acreage. The orchards and growers we represent stretch from Oregon to Canada, so depending on the region they are in, the water issue will vary greatly. We do have some very senior water rights in these regions, and other regions might be more of a struggle."

Regarding the unseasonably warm weather in February and March, Mr. Patrick noted that the larger concern now "is the extended frost season we?re likely to experience." He said that the area is 12 days ahead on the crop in some areas, and "some areas already have apricots in full bloom. It will be a long frost season with the trees already at this stage of development."

Alan Taylor, marketing director for Pink Lady America, said that growers of the trademarked variety will not likely do "anything different than other fruit growers at this point." He said that apricots, nectarines and peaches are in bloom, with cherries "not far behind," and some growers were running wind machines the morning of March 14 when the temperatures had fallen to more normal mid- and upper 20s.

?I think many growers are waiting for the next forecast on April 1 ... and still holding out hope that the weather pattern, pretty much dictated by the high pressure over the Northwest, will change and bring heavy snows to the Cascades," he said, adding that one irrigation district with limited storage "is actively seeking the purchase of water from other districts."

In Selah, WA, near Yakima, Rainier Fruit Co. Director of Marketing Suzanne Wolter said of the drought, "We are addressing the issue at this time; however, it's going to be May until we truly know how much the drought will affect us. As it stands, 95 percent of company orchards are in senior water right districts, and we have wells on the ranches that are not."

She added that company orchards account for the majority of product sold by Rainier Fruit.

?Water for frost protection may be curtailed in some areas, and water for cooling may be rationed. We are making plans on more water efficient irrigation methods and overhead summer cooling as we speak. Overall, the vast majority of Rainier group ranches will not be affected as far as irrigation," Ms. Wolter noted.

Scott Marboe, marketing director for Oneonta Trading Corp. in Wenatchee, said, "We are lucky being based in the northern and central part of the state in that much of our water comes from the Columbia River, which will have adequate water due to the snowpack in Canada. That is not to say we will be totally out of the woods; the entire industry will be affected."

He continued, "The lower Yakima Valley and those areas that rely basically on the water coming from the Cascades as well as underground wells will feel a significant impact. I think it is still too early to say what will happen with fruit trees, row crops, etc. Those will be decisions made by individual farmers and growers. But I am optimistic that the cherry crops will be normal. They will most definitely be earlier this year as will most everything due to the unseasonably warm weather we have been experiencing. [Still], ... lots can happen between now and harvest. Let?s hope the rains come " just not in June and July."

Sage Fruit Co. President Chuck Sinks said that orchards that provide fruit for his company are for the most part well situated, but he noted that some blocks will not be farmed as a precautionary measure to keep water on those varieties that are most popular with consumers.

?Fortunately, most of our acreage is located in districts that will have ample water for the year," Mr. Sinks said. He went on to say that "blocks located in districts with junior rights for the most part have adequate well capacity to offset the loss of irrigation water." And Mr. Sinks said that some blocks of Red Delicious "will not be farmed and the crop eliminated in order to have enough water to irrigate the more profitable varieties."

In Wenatchee, Roger Pepperl of Stemilt Growers said that senior water rights "look like they will be intact, which is a good portion of our crops."

He continued, "However there are orchards that will be especially affected which will be out of the Yakima district. They are the orchards that are served by the Rosa irrigation district, which may only get 18 percent of normal water distribution, [but] this is very little of Stemilt?s tonnage."

Mr. Pepperl said that it's possible that sizing on apples "may be affected this season as an industry, [and] cherry size could also be an issue." But, he added, since the season is early on cherries, the crop may not be affected at all.

?However, the drought is a real issue ... and wildfires will most likely be a real issue by July and August," Mr. Pepperl concluded.

Growers and shippers in the mid-Columbia district of southern Washington and northern Oregon weighed in on the situation, with Fred Duckwall of Duckwall-Pooley Fruit Co. in Hood River, OR, noting, "[The drought] could be a problem. Consulting with our field staff, there are several things that growers can do to minimize the impact of a drought situation."

Mr. Duckwall continued, "The most likely measures they can and will take will be to thin more heavily than normal to reduce the fruit load and therefore the fruit requirement for water."

He said, "Growers can also consider spraying the orchard floor with a reduced rate of Roundup to knock the grass back but not kill it entirely. And finally they can consider applying fertilizer at a lower rate to promote lower levels of vegetative growth in the first place. The decision to lower fertilizer rates obviously requires the longest lead time and must really anticipate a low-water summer earlier in the spring."

He continued, "From a packing standpoint, our water requirements are somewhat fixed and therefore inflexible. Recycling and filtration are options we currently are not equipped to consider but are surely looking into how they might be employed. Water rights are what they are. There are some senior to ours, but in past low-water situations, there has still been adequate water to support our plant operational needs."

Neil Galone of Diamond Fruit Growers in Odell, OR, also commented on the situation. "Because our soil is less sandy than in Washington, we are usually less affected by drought since the soil holds water better. In the mid-Columbia district, there are three major water irrigation districts, and none of them have yet come out with guidelines, although they are all talking about the need to conserve," he said.

?Because cherries are harvested early, there will be plenty of water for them, and there should also be plenty of water for the early pears like Bartletts. The volume of later pears could be impacted somewhat unless there are good spring rains to help fill the reservoirs or late-summer rains to help irrigate between Bartletts and the winter pears."

He concluded, "Bottom line is that at this point, there is reason for concern but not reason for panic."