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KITTI AS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: June 8, 2026 <br />TOPIC: 2026 Rural Area Drought Management Program <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direct Staff <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Arden Thomas <br />RECOMMENDATION., <br />Direct staff to implement the 2026 Rural Area Drought Management Program <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• The Yakima Basin 1*s in its fourth consecutive drought year. Ecology has declared <br />a drought emergency; proratable water users will r <br />are subiect to curtailment. <br />eceive 52%, and j <br />• In the Settlement Agreement, Kittie'tas County comm <br />unior users <br />fitted to preparing and <br />implementing a water conservation program during drought years. <br />• The proposed Kl*ttitas County 2026 Rural Area Drought Management Program <br />includes water conservation education and outreach through updating our <br />webpage, issuing a press release, distributing a water <br />conservation brochure, <br />sharing information on the Board of County Commissioners Facebook page, and <br />sending a postcard to indoor -only water mitigation customers. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />In the May 15, 2014, Settlement Agreemen <br />State Devartment of Ecology, Futurewise, t <br />and RIDGE Association, &ittitas County committed to implementing a water <br />conservation program for new and existing rural domestic groundwater users during <br />declared drought }'ears. This program must communicate that, for historic groundwater <br />uses, oniv indoor domestic uses and irrigation of up to 500 square feet of exterior yards <br />are covered by the program and that use in excess of this coverage is at risk of <br />curtailment. <br />t between KttitasiCounty,, the Washington <br />he KttitasiCounty Conservation Coalition, <br />To implement the Rural Area Drought Management Program in 2026, staff proposes <br />updating the Water Resources webpage, issuing a press release, printing and stocking <br />brochures at our office, issuing a statement on social media, and sending postcards to <br />indoor-only mitigation customers. <br />Page 1 of 3 <br />PUBLIC N1'ORKS BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS NVORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />