SEQUIM — Expecting a worsening drought season in late summer and early autumn, 13 landowners of agriculture properties in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley have agreed not to irrigate portions of their land from Aug. 15 to Sept. 15 as part of a dry-year leasing program funded by the state Department of Ecology.
The program — implemented in partnership with the seven irrigation districts and various companies making up the Sequim-Dungeness Water Users Association — is intended to conserve water and maintain surface water flows in the Dungeness River.
Experts have projected record-low flows this year.
“As irrigators, we are gearing up to be as efficient as we can with our delivery methods as far as the amount we pull out of the river,” said Ben Smith, president of the Dungeness Water Users.
Washington Water Trust officials have $200,000 to pay to the 13 landowners to offset the cost of leaving their fields fallow during that time period.
“It is a voluntary program where we pay irrigators not to irrigate for the last 30 days of the irrigation season,” said Amanda Cronin, Washington Water Trust project manager.
“It is market-based. Basically, the folks that are eligible are members of the districts and companies, and they have to have been irrigating during that August/September time frame in 2014 for a commercial crop on at least 5 acres or more.”
The program is expected to be finalized soon.
Ecology “sent out an invitation to everyone who was eligible, and we’ve got surprisingly good participation this year,” Cronin said.
“The preliminary results are that we had 28 bids that were received from 15 landowners. We accepted 21 bids from 13 different landowners.”
Altogether, about 800 acres of farmland will not be irrigated during the 30-day period, according to the agreement, Cronin said.
That equates to about 330 acre feet of water, or about 107,530,970 gallons.
“That is really significant,” Cronin said.
Smith urges residents not in the agriculture business to do their part as well to conserve water during the drought.
“We are going to be asking the community . . . to cut back as much as possible on yard watering [and] non-commercial use,” he said.
“Anything we can let go brown this summer — we are going to be imploring for cooperation on that.
“We are extremely appreciative of the relationship we have with the community here.”
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.