March 1, 2010 in City

Gregoire wants $4.1 million for droughts

Associated Press
 
Tags:2010 Washington Legislaturebudgetdroughtsnow packstate budget

OLYMPIA — Gov. Chris Gregoire is asking the Legislature to set aside $4.1 million for drought-relief projects that may be needed to counter below-average mountain snowpack this winter.

Gregoire said Monday she’s asked House and Senate Democrats to transfer money from a disaster response fund to the drought relief account, which was depleted during last year’s budget cuts.

Most snowpack levels in the state range from 50 to 83 percent of normal average. Only the Olympic peninsula is seeing above average levels, at 101 percent.

Seventy to 80 percent of Washington’s surface water supplies come from mountain snowmelt in the summer.

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Four comments on this story so far. Add yours!

  • polistra on March 01 at 11:38 a.m.

    Here’s a no-cost idea, in fact a money-saving idea. Stop drawing down reservoirs to please the Emperor Fish, stop tearing down dams to please the Emperor Fish. Then you’d have enough water in storage.

    Government is supposed to serve the PEOPLE, not the goddamn Royal Aristocrat Fish.

  • theisena on March 01 at 1:09 p.m.

    What about the PEOPLE whose livelihoods depend on that fish, such as the tens of thousands of jobs supported by sport fishing and the tens of thousands of commercial-fishing jobs?

  • crstrode on March 01 at 5:00 p.m.

    So - let me get this straight - The governor used the drought relief account when there as no drought so she could cover her exorbitant spending and multi-billion dollar deficit.

    Now - when there MIGHT be a slight drought she wants to use up the disaster response fund.

    What a bunch of tax-and-spend BS.

    //////////////////////////////

    The best way to save the endangered fish is to stop catching them.

    By the way - if the fish are endangered then why are they in the grocery store coolers?

  • JBlim on March 01 at 5:36 p.m.

    Yeah Gov. Trying to be proactive and planning ahead? What a typical smarty-pants Democrat.

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