Union County approves local drought emergency declaration
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, June 29th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – During a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the Union County Board of Commissioners approved a recommendation from Union County Emergency Services to declare a local drought emergency.
This follows unseasonably warm temperatures (around 4-5 degrees above average for the growing season), low seasonal precipitation (around 2.5 inches below growing season normal), minimal snowpack, and around eight consecutive weeks of severe drought status in the county. Though some precipitation has been seen, Union County Emergency Services reports that local crop growth is already being impacted.
The full staff report from Union County Emergency Manager Nick Vora is as follows:
SUMMARY:
Union County is currently experiencing drought conditions, with 100% of the county affected. Approximately 77% of Union County by area is in Severe Drought (D2), and roughly 17% in Extreme Drought (D3), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor (Attachment 2). May, 2026 was the 9th driest on record in the past 132 years, and since January, 2026, Union County is approximately 2.5″ below normal for precipitation.
Despite episodic winter precipitation, warm temperatures prevented snowpack accumulation which has profoundly impacted spring soil moistures and water supply. Compounding the impacts of a low snowpack, nearly all of Union County is below 50% of normal precipitation for the past 60 days according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. As a result, some crop growth has already been reduced and stream flows for irrigation are declining rapidly. The financial impact on Union County agricultural producers is difficult to quantify due to the many variables that influence agricultural income and expenses, but it is likely to be significant.
BOARD ACTION: Approval of the resolution will declare a local state of drought emergency and facilitate a request to the State of Oregon asking that all applicable drought relief programs be made available to Union County citizens.
FINANCIAL/BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS: There are no direct or immediate impacts to the General Fund. If a request for financial assistance is made, the associated fiscal implications would be brought before the Board for consideration at that time.
POLICY CONSIDERATIONS: The resolution before the Board includes a local emergency declaration and a request for a state-level declaration. Completing this process ensures access to drought assistance programs and expedites potential requests for state or federal aid.
Respectfully submitted,
Nick Vora
Union County Emergency Manager”
Following this approval, the declaration will next be forwarded to the Oregon Water Resources Department and the Oregon Governor’s Office. If Governor Kotek issues a state emergency declaration, additional drought mitigation and support resources could be authorized.
