Oregon drought

The Northwest remains very dry with two dozen days to go to spring.   According to the latest drought numbers, 92% of Oregon is Abnormally Dry, while 77% of the state is under a D-1, or Moderate Drought, designation.  Both of those figures increased over the past week.  Meanwhile, S...

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has declared drought emergencies for Crook and Jefferson counties in the central portion of the state. That now directs agencies to prioritize assistance to the region. Both counties requested the declaration in January...

Dry conditions continue for much of the Pacific Northwest.  But for one state, soil moisture conditions have returned close to normal.   According to the latest USDA numbers, 34% of Washington is considered abnormally dry for this time of year.  That is a dr...

According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Drought monitor, only 9% of Oregon is where it should be for soil moisture numbers for this time of year.  And of that 91% that’s dry, the driest conditions are found in the central part of the state, with a large portion of Crook County under a Exceptional Drought designation.  While snowpac...

On Friday, senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley pressed the Bureau of Reclamation to prioritize Oregon when it comes to drought relief.  A letter sent by the two lawmakers, said, in part, “we strongly urge the Bureau of Reclamation to provide critical funding to areas in Oregon that have been devastated by the historic, multi-year, extreme drought conditions."   ...

Soil conditions continue to worsen across the region.   According to the latest USDA numbers, all of Washington is under some kind of drought designation, with 38% of the state under the D1, or Moderate Drought Designation.  The remaining portion of the Evergreen state is considered abnormally dry for this time of year.    ...

On Tuesday, ERS reported the ongoing Western drought is the most extreme drought in the region since 2000.  As of Monday, September 19th, the U.S. Drought Monitor classified more than 18% of land in the Western States as experiencing extreme or exceptional drought.  In July...

The Klamath Irrigation District in Southern Oregon plans to defy a U.S. government order issued last week for a halt to water deliveries to farmers in the drought-stricken basin.  The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation manages the Klamath Project, which includes Klamath Irrigation District and serves 266 square miles of farmland around the Oregon-California border.  A ...

Despite the spring rains we saw across much of the Pacific Northwest, drought conditions continue for much of Central and Eastern Oregon.  The water year officially ended in July, and Larry O’Neill, with the Oregon Climate Office, says conditions didn’t improve much in the last two months.   “The average...

According to the Central Oregon Irrigation District, the Deschutes River flows continue to drop.  Currently, COID is diverting 75% of the normal rate from the river, which puts the delivery rates to customers anywhere from 60%-70%.  The Irrigation District noted flows are closely monitored, and if flows continue to drop customers will be notified.   ...