Commissioners to vote on drought declaration

By Terry Murry on Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

HEPPNER – The Morrow County Board of Commissioners votes this morning (Wednesday) on issuing a drought declaration for the county. That notice alerts the state and opens the door to possible funding relief.

“Over half of Morrow County is currently in a severe drought designation,” County Counsel Justin Nelson said. “The rest of our county is either in a moderate drought or an abnormally dry designation according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The county received the endorsement of the Morrow County Soil and Water Conservation District. District Manager Kevin Payne pointed out that in addition to the current dry conditions, the National Weather Service long-term forecast forecasts that both temperatures and precipitation for the county will be below normal throughout the summer.

“This is also supported by local farmers and ranchers,” Nelson said. “It could be pretty tough. We need that water.”