Yes, it was an unusually wet September.
And, as luck would have it, as soon as the city of Yachats declared “Phase One” water restrictions the city recorded 3.5 inches of rain in September to unofficially end any real worries about watering outside plants or washing cars.
September’s rainfall total was the third highest in the last 10 years, exceeded only by 7.74 inches in 2013 and 5.41 inches in 2010, according to city records.
The average rainfall for September for the past 10 years is 2.56 inches.
Despite the wet month, the city is still running behind the 10-year average for rainfall.
So far this year the city has measured 38.37 inches of rain in its gauge at the water treatment plant on West Seventh Street. That’s 4.22 inches less than the nine-month average over the last 10 years.
The Yachats City Council instituted some mild residential water restrictions on Sept. 4 after the flows in the two creeks that supply water dropped below 275 gallons per minute. As of Tuesday, Oct. 1, that flow was about 300 per minute.
Water treatment plant operator Rick McClung said Tuesday he would have to consult with City Manager Shannon Beaucaire on whether to recommend to the council that Yachats drop its water restrictions. While there is some rain in the forecast, there’s also periods of dry weather ahead, McClung said, and with the wetter September most people have stopped worrying about watering their landscaping.