The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners is seeking a drought declaration from Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek as the area deals with the ramifications of extreme heat and lack of precipitation.

“We haven’t had substantial moisture for much of the calendar year,” said Commissioner Todd Nash.

“A lot of the water sources for livestock are either depleted or completely gone. It was really those water sources that were the main thing,” he said.

Ranchers requested the commissioners take action, Nash added.

Other agricultural producers weren’t able to irrigate as long into the summer and fall.

Natural resources, recreational tourism and related economies also are experiencing widespread and severe damage resulting from drought, commissioners wrote in an Oct. 7 letter to representatives of state agencies.

Commissioners formally declared a drought and a state of emergency with a resolution Oct. 2 that stated the possibility of moisture relief was “bleak.”

Letter details

The letter was sent to Ryan Andrews, hydrologist with the Oregon Water Resources Department, and Traci Naile, operations and preparedness manager of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

Andrews and Naile are the co-chairs of the Oregon Drought Readiness Council, which reviews requests for assistance and makes recommendations to the governor.

Wallowa County commissioners highlighted that they have been in discussions with the Oregon State University Extension Service, USDA Farm Service Agency and state and federal officials.

They also have advocated for refurbishment of the Wallowa Lake Dam, which will allow for more water storage for multiple uses, including farm irrigation and other agricultural purposes, recreation, domestic use and stream flows for fish habitat. Work on the dam is tentatively slated for fall of 2025.

Nash said the change will be considerable. “It will allow for irrigation way later in the summer than what we’ve been able to do now,” he said.

Moderate drought areas

Kotek has issued drought declarations for Jefferson and Lake counties this year.

A drought declaration unlocks several emergency tools, including assistance to local water users. The declaration also allows the Oregon Water Resources Department to expedite review processes and reduce fee schedules.

As of Oct. 15, Wallowa County was the only additional area seeking such a designation, said Cameron Greenwood, hydrologist with the state Water Resources Department.

However, about 61% of the state, including much of Eastern Oregon and Southern Oregon, was in moderate drought Oct. 8, according to a chart from the U.S. Drought Monitor released Oct. 10.

That includes the entirety of Wallowa County and six other counties (Union, Baker, Malheur, Grant, Crook and Wheeler) and portions of 12 counties (Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lake, Harney, Deschutes, Jefferson, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla).

Malheur County has a southern section representing 1.4% of the state that is in severe drought.

Nash wasn’t surprised that more counties aren’t seeking drought assistance. Such requests usually come in the spring and conditions at that time appeared somewhat favorable for water and forage.

“A lot of those counties just reluctantly said, ‘It’s too late to do a lot of good,’” Nash said.

Northeast Oregon also has extremely low flows in rivers and creek systems, even compared to other areas in drought.

Climatologists downgrade chances La Nina will form

Yakima basin irrigators end season with 52% of normal water supply

Klamath Basin farm tour features frank water discussions

Drought declared for S. Oregon’s Lake County fifth straight year

Drought declared for Central Oregon county