The Chronicle

Southwest Washington residents may more often be concerned about having too much water than not enough, but Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen recently sponsored a successful bill to “modernize Washington’s drought status,” according to the Washington House Democrats.

“Right now, each time we’re hit by a drought, our response is reactive and that’s not good enough, especially since we know there’ll be more droughts,” said Blake, chairman of the Rural Development, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, and prime sponsor of House Bill 1622. “So why not get ahead of the game with a proactive approach before we’re facing a drought emergency?”

The bill passed the state House of Representatives Wednesday evening on a 79-17 vote. The bill is intended to streamline the Department of Ecology’s response to drought, help farmers and help the state respond more effectively to drought emergencies. It also provides for a “drought advisory warning.”

Blake introduced House Bill 1622 at the request of Ecology. Blake represents the 19th Legislative District, which includes the western portion of Lewis County.

“Building a back-up water supply for a small community, farmer, or fish hatchery before there’s a drought emergency would increase the reliability of their water supply, which would help them endure the impact of droughts,” said Blake, in a statement.