Water scarcity remains a formidable challenge in many agricultural sectors, and the dairy industry in Washington is no exception. For Jason Sheehan, a fourth-generation dairy farmer running J&K Dairy in eastern Washington, effective water management is crucial. With a herd of 3,000 cows and a farm spanning 2,000 acres, Sheehan’s operations are significantly impacted by water storage issues in the state.
Pro-Rated Water Management
Sheehan highlights how the water supply in the Yakima Valley of Washington is heavily dependent on natural snowmelt from the mountains. However, his water is now being allocated on a prorated basis.
“Pro rationing basically is because the water is coming into the reservoir as fast it’s going out,” he explains.
The rapid loss of snowpack leads to a cautious approach toward water storage control, which impacts how much water farms like Sheehan’s can access.
Brad Rippey, Meteorologist with the USDA says, “Soil seemed to be unusually thirsty across much of the west, so we’re not seeing all of that runoff go right into the reservoirs. If that were happening, we really wouldn’t have as much of a problem because that water would still be conserved. It would be held in a different form than the snowpack, but at least it would be stored in reservoirs, but we are seeing some loss due to thirsty soils.”
Current and Future Drought Conditions
According to the Department of Ecology for the State of Washington, the Yakima Basin experienced consecutive droughts in 2023 and 2024. Heading into the irrigation season, predictions indicate a possible third year of drought — a scenario not seen since the early 1990s. These conditions pose significant challenges for the region’s farmers.
While planting corn during an interview with Dairy Herd Management, Sheehan noted they would halt operations to wait for a new water allocation, saying, “Whatever is left in the reservoirs is what we get split up for the year.” Though operating on a 36" annual allocation, they are set to receive only 48% of that this summer, which is below the 70% needed to avoid drought conditions.
“70% is really what we need,” he says. “We get down below 70%, and we’re basically in the drought,” he says.
Adapting Farming Practices
Sheehan’s farming methods include no-till practices, and recently, he pulled out of a 120-acre pivot despite having planted on 117 acres.
“We’re chasing the chopper down, and I’ve got water ordered,” he says, illustrating the tightrope farmers constantly walk, adapting their practices based on the availability of water. “We’re going to start water up and try to get this field irrigated before the water is shut off. You kind of learn have to learn how to farm around the way our irrigation district works.”
Collaborative Solutions for Water Management
The Yakima Basin Integrated Plan was formed to manage water scarcity in Yakima County and has involved collaboration among irrigation districts, tribes and environmentalists since the mid-2000s.
Sheehan acknowledges the complexity of the issue but underscores the importance of increased storage capacity.
“In the end, what’s going to solve a lot of these water issues is simply storage,” he says. “We’ve got a lot of lower elevation water right now that’s going straight to the Columbia River and out to the ocean that we could be capturing -and we don’t.”
Water scarcity is an enduring issue demanding innovative solutions, and Washington’s dairy farmers are just one of many states that are on the frontline of this battle.
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