Drought conditions exist when an area receives less than 75 percent of its normal rainfall. "Forecasters expect Washington to see at least several more months of warm, dry weather -- on top of already record-high temperatures and record-low precipitation," writes author Angela Galloway. In western Washington, "Even if rainfall returns to normal levels for the remainder of the year ... most of Washington's watersheds would still have only between 22 percent and 50 percent of their normal supplies ..." she says. Governor Gregoire has declared a drought emergency, which gives the state "increase authority to grant water transfers and permits to access wells and other water sources otherwise forbidden." The low stream flow kills fish and causes the soil to dry out, which, in turn, kills streamside vegetation and leads to erosion. The drought impacts farmers, river rafting companies, manufacturers and greatly increases the threat of wildfires. It also creates competition between the needs of the environment and human needs.