This web page broadly identifies and describes the drought hazard that Oregon faces.  It also highlights the previous plans, assessment tools, and resources that identify, profile, and assess the vulnerability and risk from drought events in Oregon.


DROUGHT OVERVIEW:

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Droughts are not uncommon in the State of Oregon, nor are they just an “east of the mountains” phenomenon. They occur in all parts of the state, in both summer and winter.

Oregon’s drought history reveals many short-term and a few long-term events. Long-term drought periods of more than one year can impact forest conditions and set the stage for potentially devastating wildfires. Droughts appear to be cyclic, and can have a profound effect on the state’s economy, particularly the hydropower and agricultural sectors. The environmental consequences also are far-reaching, including insect infestations in Oregon forests and a reduction in streamflows that support endangered fish species.
 
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SUMMARY OF OREGON'S VULNERABILITY TO DROUGHT:

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When a drought occurs, it may affect all regions of the state.  However, most of Oregon’s urban areas usually fair much better during a drought than rural, less populated regions of the state.  By encouraging or invoking water conservation measures during a drought, urban areas can reduce their demand for water.

This is not the case in rural areas.  These areas are much more dependent on water for irrigation to maintain and increase agricultural production.  Several regions of the state, devoted to agricultural production, have been affected by droughts in the past.  Generally, the regions outside the Willamette Valley and the coast feel the greatest impact from a drought.  Based upon local hazard analyses, the following counties indicated the greatest vulnerability to droughts: Baker, Gilliam, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Malheur, Sherman, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Wheeler.

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DROUGHT STATE RESOURCES:

DROUGHT INTERNET RESOURCES:

Water Resources Department: Drought Page On this page and associated links you will find data and other information concerning the availability of water in Oregon for the current year.  During dry times there is information from watermasters concerning their specific districts, as well as links to other agencies and local governments.  "Near real time" links provide water levels and flow data for particular streams and rivers. Oregon Regional Risk Assessment       The state’s risk assessment is divided into eight geographic regions to provide a locally appropriate analysis of risk. Included are: a regional profile and maps, event history, and an analysis of the probability of and vulnerability to future events. Oregon's Regional Hazards Viewer The interactive viewer visually displays perceived vulnerability per hazard for each county in Oregon, which allows communities and the state to compare the vulnerability of hazards across regions. Drought Chapter: State Plan The Drought chapter of the state Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan provides a characterization of the drought hazard in Oregon. Additionally, the chapter describes current state programs and strategies, highlights successes in mitigation, and proposes short and long-term actions for future mitigation in the state.

USGS Water Use in the United States U.S. Drought Monitor National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) NOAA's Drought Information Center

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Maintained by:
Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience
Community Service Center
University of Oregon
Last Updated 07/02/2007