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Kittitas County 2026 Rural Area Drought Management <br /> Program <br /> Background <br /> The May 15, 2014 Settlement Agreement between Kittitas County, the Washington State <br /> Department of Ecology, Furturewise, the Kittitas County Conservation Coalition, and RIDGE <br /> Association identifies that, <br /> Rural Area Drought Management Program. During periods of declared drought in <br /> the Yakima River basin, the County will implement a prepared water conservation <br /> program for those new and existing rural domestic ground water users such that <br /> minimal uses of ground water are consumed. This will include notification to <br /> mitigated pre-existing exempt well users that they are at risk of being curtailed except <br /> for indoor domestic uses and irrigation of 500 sq.ft. of exterior yard. <br /> This document serves as the prepared water conservation program to be implemented in <br /> response to the 2026 drought. <br /> Water Conservation Program Education and Outreach <br /> Kittitas County will update its webpage, issue a press release, and utilize social media to notify <br /> mitigated pre-existing exempt well users that senior water rights purchased by Kittitas County <br /> domestic uses and irrigation of 500 square feet of exterior yard. Kittitas County will also mail <br /> postcard to Package A(indoor water use only) customers reminding them that their mitigation <br /> does not allow for their well to be used to irrigate. These outreach documents are shown in the <br /> attached exhibits to this document. <br /> Education and outreach efforts will also identify measures all county residents can take to reduce <br /> water consumption. These educational efforts will focus on outdoor irrigation since outdoor <br /> irrigation results in much higher consumption rates than indoor uses. <br />