SALEM, Ore. (KATU) — Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has issued her first drought declaration of the year.

READ MORE | Oregon now 85% in drought, Washington 65%, with hotter and drier spring forecast

Drought has been declared in Baker, Umatilla, and Deschutes Counties through Executive Order 26-05.

This is the earliest a drought emergency has been declared since 2022.

State agencies have been directed to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region.

“Forecasts suggest that below normal precipitation and streamflow 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 Governor’s office said.

The three counties have seen moderate to severe drought conditions dating back to May and June 2025.

According to a recent Oregon Water Conditions Report, the state is heading into the spring with a significantly reduced water supply.

Snowpack statewide is at just 29% of normal, with every basin in Oregon well below average.

It’s the second-worst snowpack on record, behind the 2015 winter season.

The report also shows drought conditions are already expanding, with more than 20% of the state in moderate drought and over 4% in severe drought.

Water managers say those conditions are already forcing difficult decisions ahead of the irrigation season.

“This drought is probably one of the most severe, if not the worst on record,” said Craig Horrell, managing director of the Central Oregon Irrigation District.

Droughts can have significant economic impacts on several industries across the state.

Horrell says districts are preparing for significant shortages, with some areas expecting about half of their normal water supply and smaller districts potentially running out of water as early as July.

That could directly impact farmers, who may have to scale back production.

Hay yields are expected to be especially low, which could drive up feed costs and force some ranchers to reduce their herds.

“They get one cutting instead of three cuttings,” said Horrell. “And when you look at high-dollar value crops, they choose not to plant them.”

He added that recent drought years are becoming more common, noting this is the first time in more than a century that the district has had to repeatedly cut water deliveries.

READ THE EXECUTIVE ORDER:

Last week, NOAA issued their official spring outlook.

Meteorologists are forecasting above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation for spring and going into summer.

“Heat plays a role in how fast we go through the water,” said Horrell. “If we have a cooler summer, the supplies, we can stretch out a little bit longer. If we get a really hot summer, it evaporates and goes away faster.”

With snowpack already at critically low levels, a prolonged stretch of heat or continued lack of precipitation could further strain irrigation systems and deepen the impacts on farmers across the region.