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Oregon is facing its most challenging drought season in recent memory. Record-low snowpack and one of the warmest winters in state history are primary drivers of 2026's severe conditions.
Long-term trends are clear: This is not an isolated event. Oregon and other Western states continue to experience persistent drought conditions associated with a warmer climate. While some recent years have seen periods of wetter conditions, the broader trend since 2000 has been toward warmer and drier conditions.
Increasing the state’s resiliency to drought and evolving conditions will be essential to meet our water needs now and into the future. Understanding vulnerabilities to drought can help focus efforts to improve resiliency, and prevent or reduce drought impacts.
The Oregon Water Resources Department contracted with Oregon State University, University of Oregon, and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to undertake a Drought Vulnerability Assessment that examines drought frequency, intensity, and impacts across the state, along with policy and water justice considerations. The Assessment consists of four reports authored by researchers from the three universities. You can access the Assessment on the OWRD website.
Together, the reports help advance our collective understanding of drought vulnerability and point towards important considerations as we work to improve drought response and resilience. OWRD is already taking actions based on this report to inform our drought response actions for this year’s drought including:
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Improving coordination of state drought response actions among agencies and with emergency managers
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Strengthening engagement with Tribes
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Increasing awareness of the Dry Well Reporting Form, which provides valuable information on local groundwater conditions
Oregon has made progress in recent years toward implementing strategies to address vulnerability and improve resilience, including:
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Improving information and data distribution to sustainably manage our water resources, as well as anticipate and respond to drought
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Funding and technical assistance for place-based water planning, which can help communities identify challenges and local solutions
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State funding for water projects, improving water use efficiency for longer-term resilience
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Financial assistance for low-to-moderate income homeowners experiencing well supply issues
These strategies help build resilience over time.
Drought Emergency Resources
In the shorter term, all Oregonians can play a part in drought response and mitigating impacts by helping to conserve water. Below is information and resources for those affected by drought, and how you can do your part to conserve.
For more information, please contact:
Jason Cox | jason.r.cox@water.oregon.gov | 503-979-3214
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