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Exhibit 1: Webpage Update <br /> Water Resources Management <br /> Kittitas County's water management activities protect surface and groundwater resources. <br /> The Drinking Water Program is managed by the Public Health Department. Public Works water <br /> resource programs include floodplain and groundwater management. <br /> The groundwater management program improves water reliability. To achieve this goal, as of <br /> December 2, 2015, all new groundwater uses within the Yakima Basin portion of Kittitas County are <br /> required to: <br /> 1. Mitigate—Water mitigation* certificates are issued from a water bank. Mitigation <br /> certificates provide the ability to legally extract water out of a well for domestic use. <br /> 2. Meter— Metering is required for those who purchased water mitigation from the <br /> Kittitas County Water Bank or a private water bank. <br /> The requirements are found in KCC 13.40 and need to be met during the land subdivision and <br /> building permit processes. <br /> *water mitigation is created when older, senior water use ceases so that new uses can be established. <br /> 2026 Drought Information <br /> On April 8, 2026, the Washington State Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency for <br /> the Yakima Basin. The declaration reflects unusually low snowpack and streamflows, which are <br /> creating challenges for farms and fish throughout the region. <br /> As a result of drought conditions, pro-ratable water users within our community are receiving 52% of <br /> their water allotments, some junior water rights have been restricted, and streamflows remain <br /> critically low. <br /> Most rural homes in Kittitas County have water-use protections backed by senior water rights. <br /> Depending on when your well was established and first used, these protections may be provided <br /> through a recorded mitigation certificate or through senior water rights acquired by Kittitas County <br /> on behalf of historic well users. <br /> What does this mean for my home? <br /> Most homes served by individual or shared wells have water-use protections backed by senior water <br /> rights. For historic well users, these protections cover indoor household water use and irrigation of <br />