Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has declared a drought emergency in three central and eastern Oregon counties after an abnormally dry and warm winter brings concern of water availability.
Officials in Deschutes, Umatilla and Baker counties requested the declaration, which was granted by the governor on March 26, 2026.
“Forecasts suggest that below normal precipitation and strong low conditions are likely to
continue through summer in all Counties following an extended period with precipitation
and temperature conditions that contributed to well below normal snowpack,” the executive order declaring the drought emergency said. “Therefore, drought conditions are likely to persist or intensify in the Counties.”
The executive order directs state agencies that regulate agriculture, water resources, fish and wildlife and others to coordinate and provide assistance to water users, study conditions for wildlife, and to assess and mitigate issues related to the drought.
"Just-below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures really didn’t provide much relief with respect to drought conditions across much of the state,” said Cameron Greenwood, a hydrologist with the Oregon Water Resources Department.
Greenwood told KLCC that drought concerns will worsen as spring becomes summer, particularly for those who rely on irrigated water.
He compared this year to 2015, when 25 of Oregon’s 36 counties had a drought emergency declaration.
Jefferson and Wallowa counties have also requested a drought declaration, but were not included in Kotek’s executive order.
The last drought emergency in Deschutes County happened in 2023 and Umatilla County in 2021. Baker County was in a drought emergency last year.
The drought declaration comes months earlier in the year than the first drought-related executive orders in 2024 and 2025. The aforementioned declaration in Baker County came on July 10, 2025, and a 2024 declaration for Jefferson County came on June 25.
It comes later than the first declarations of 2023. Jefferson and Crook counties received the designation on Feb. 15 that year.
