FORECAST FROM STATE, WSU SHOWS POTENTIAL RISKS TO WATER SUPPLIES

PULLMAN, Wash., July 7 -- Washington State University issued the following news release:

Changes in climate, agricultural practices, groundwater use, and growing populations are critical factors influencing water supplies in Washington's ColumbiaRiver Basin. Challenging trends in these areas are expected to create vulnerabilities in the region's water availability by the mid-2040s, according to a draft forecast from the Washington Department of Ecology and the State of Washington Water Research Center at Washington State University.

Every fiveyears, Washington law requires Ecology to report on how changing water supply and demand could affect communities, farms, and fish over the following 20years. The findings are intended to help electe...