Looking Ahead & Replacing Evergreen Hall

The recent report that snowpack in the Cascades is ahead of normal is good news but if you look farther into the future it may not be quite so rosy. Forecasts are calling for warmer temperatures and meteorologists are not seeing the waves of storms coming into the Pacific as they did in December and January which may mean that ultimately we'll wind up a little short again this year with water. Congressman Dan Newhouse has been watching how things have been shaping up.

NEWHOUSE: Farmers are dependent on the weather, good or bad and so there are some decisions that can be made at this point. Some farmers I know are doing all they can to improve or update irrigation systems to better use the water they do get. If they're able, some are making decisions on which crops to plant. Many have permanent crops, as you know, in our area. Your options are less when you don't have choices what crops you're going to focus on.

Two years ago, Evergreen Hall was destroyed by fire at the Washington State Fair Events Center. Now it is rising from the ashes as officials are set to build the AgriPlex, a 25,000-square-foot building with a covered 12,000-square-foot arena space. Construction started in November and it's hoped that it will be complete by the end of August in time for this years' fair.

And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.