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Drought emergencies declared in five counties this calendar year
Governor Tina Kotek has declared a drought in Douglas, Morrow, and Union counties through Executive Order 25-18 and directed state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region.
A link to Executive Order 25-18 can be found here.
Union County
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Union County has been experiencing severe drought since June 24. Drought metrics like the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index are also indicating long-term drought conditions have persisted in Union County over the last 12 months. More recently, precipitation has been below normal from March through June, a critical period that accounts for approximately 37% of Union County’s annual precipitation.
The Oregon Drought Readiness Council, a standing body composed of natural resource, public health, and emergency response agencies, heard from the Union County Board of Commissioners in July requesting the Governor’s drought declaration.
Morrow County
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Morrow County has been experiencing severe drought since July 15, 2025. Precipitation was below normal from March through June, a critical period that accounts for approximately 40% of Morrow County's annual precipitation. From March through June, temperatures were generally above normal.
The Oregon Drought Readiness Council, a standing body composed of natural resource, public health, and emergency response agencies, heard from the Morrow County Board of Commissioners in July requesting the Governor’s drought declaration.
Douglas County
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Douglas County has been experiencing severe drought since July 15. Additionally, below normal precipitation, above normal temperatures, below normal streamflow, and soil moisture conditions further indicate drought conditions are present in Douglas County. Drier and warmer than normal conditions during spring and early summer resulted in a decline in streamflow conditions despite normal to above normal snowpack conditions.
The Oregon Drought Readiness Council, a standing body composed of natural resource, public health, and emergency response agencies, heard from the Douglas County Board of Commissioners in July requesting the Governor’s drought declaration.
Governor Kotek has declared a drought emergency in five counties so far this calendar year.
Drought is likely to have a significant economic impact on the farm, ranch, recreation, tourism, and natural resources sectors, as well as an impact on drinking water, fish and wildlife, and important minimum flows for public instream uses and other natural resources dependent on adequate precipitation, stored water, and streamflow in these areas. Extreme conditions are expected to affect local growers and livestock, increase the potential for wildfire, shorten the growing season, and decrease water supplies.
The drought declaration by Governor Kotek unlocks a number of drought-related emergency tools, including assistance to local water users. Drought declarations also allow the Water Resources Department to expedite review processes and reduce fee schedules.
The Council received input from Oregon’s Water Supply Availability Committee on regional water supply conditions and Council members have conferred on this matter. The Council recommended that the Governor declare drought in Douglas, Morrow, and Union counties for the 2025 calendar year, pursuant to Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 536.740.
As state and local officials coordinate with federal partners, conditions will be closely monitored by the state’s natural resource and public safety agencies, including the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM).