Drought and Water

Earlier this week, family farmers were in Salem voicing their opposition to Senate Bill 747.  The legislation, sponsored by Portland Senator Khanh Pham, would require farms 200 acres and larger to report their annual fertilizer use to the state Department of Agriculture.  The leg...

NRCS Idaho is out with its February Water Supply Outlook Report.  According to NRCS, snowpack percentages compared to normal decreased significantly, thanks primarily to a abnormally dry January.  As of February 1, basin-wide snowpack percentages range from 68% to 119% of normal.      ...

For the higher elevations of Washington, the current snowpack is a bit of a disappointment.  Currently only four basins are at or above average for this time of year, the Lower Snake-Walla Walla, Lower Columbia, Klickitat, and the Lower Pend Oreille.   ...

According to a new study by the Stockholm Environment Institute, the four lower Snake River dams are losing water to evaporation at a rapid rate; more than 30,000-acre feet of water each year.  SEI estimates that's enough water for the household needs of 240,000 people.   ...

Perhaps most of us are unaware just how connected the Agriculture Department is with the federal agency associated with space exploration and travel.    “We look at the earth is like a living organism, and we need to monitor it and understand what changes are occurring, and what are the causes of those changes,” said Brad Doorn of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration .  Doorn has USDA

Despite being in the middle of winter, many locations across Idaho are dry for this time of year, with some locations reporting drought figures.  Erin Whorton with NRCS said when looking at total Water Year to Date precipitation, which is all of the water that’s fallen out of the sky since October 1st, Idaho is off where it should be for this time of year.  The exception...

The snowpack across Idaho has been a bit of a rollercoaster this year.  Erin Whorton with NRCS said the state saw really good snow accumulation in November and then again around the holidays, but since then things have been fairly quiet.  When it...

Oregon senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced late last week that a $50 million federal investment from the Inflation Reduction Act is headed to the Klamath Basin.  The funds will primarily go toward a new agreement that supports irrigators facing prolonged drought conditions.  The programs receiving fund...

While much remains a mystery about the 119th Congress, most of farm country is looking forward to the future with optimism.  However, one area that still of concern, at least for the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Environmental space; more specifically the EPA.  Courtne...

One year after the official watch was announced.   “During December, we finally saw the ocean reaching the threshold for La Nina in terms of cool water and we started to see the atmosphere respond to that," said USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  "When th...