Union county commissioners to consider drought emergency declaration

By Garrett Christensen on Monday, July 14th, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

UNION COUNTY – On Wednesday, July 16, the Union County Board of Commissioners will consider a resolution presented by Union County Emergency Manager Nick Vora to declare a local drought emergency. As written on the agenda for July 16:

“Resolution 2025-25: In the Matter of a Resolution Declaring a Local State of Emergency within Union County Due to Drought Conditions and Requesting the State of Oregon Declare a Disaster and State of Emergency in Union County.”

The meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. in the Joseph Building Annex Conference Room, 1106 K Avenue, La Grande. General public comment will be allowed before the resolution is put forward.

Dry conditions and limited precipitation continue to impact the region, with the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Oregon Department of Forestry all having implemented seasonal public use restrictions in some capacity for Northeast Oregon. Union County officially began regulated use fire season on July 2^nd, while Governor Tina Kotek officially declared a drought emergency for Baker County on July 11.

According to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), 50.20% of Union County is categorized as experiencing a moderate drought (primarily in the northern area of the county), while 49.80 is categorized as experiencing a severe drought (primarily in the southern area of the county). NIDIS also states that Union County experienced the 3^rd driest June on record over the past 131 years, with 1.66 fewer inches of rainfall than normal.