Before the first spark of the Bench Fire lit up the sky southwest of Warm Springs on July 23, Jefferson County's farmers were already struggling. Now, with tens of thousands of acres burning nearby and smoke blanketing fields across the county, many are staring down what could be the most damaging summer in years.
The Drought Foundation
The trouble started early. The North Unit Irrigation District — which serves irrigated farmland across much of Jefferson County — approved reduced water allotments in March, giving farmers just 1.30 acre-feet per acre from the Deschutes River and 0.65 acre-feet from the Crooked River. The cuts came after a meager snowpack winter that left reservoirs and river flows well below seasonal norms.
By April, the Oregon Department of Agriculture had declared a drought emergency for Jefferson County, one of six Central Oregon counties to receive the designation. Ninety-four percent of Jefferson County was classified as experiencing severe drought — the most severe category — while the remaining six percent was in moderate drought.
Jefferson County commissioners formally asked Governor Tina Kotek for a statewide drought emergency designation, unlocking access to state and federal relief programs for agriculture and livestock operations.
Fire and Smoke Add New Layers of Loss
Then came the fires. The Bench Fire and other blazes burning across Central Oregon have added new complications for local growers. While crops still in the ground are not directly threatened in most of Jefferson County's agricultural zones, extended smoke cover reduces photosynthesis efficiency in sun-dependent crops like potatoes — a major commodity in the county.
More immediate are the concerns around water quality. With the Bench Fire burning near the Deschutes River corridor and the Pelton Dam area, land managers and irrigation districts are monitoring for potential ash and debris runoff that could affect downstream water quality during rainfall events later in the season.
Ranchers like Mona Cochran of Warm Springs lost hay, equipment, and farm structures to the Bench Fire directly. For others on the reservation and in areas under evacuation orders, accessing fields, tending livestock, and completing harvest work has become impossible.
Resources Available for Agricultural Producers
Jefferson County farmers facing losses from drought or fire damage may be eligible for assistance through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Madras. The agency administers programs including the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP), the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).
Producers are encouraged to document all losses — including hay, equipment, structures, and livestock — and contact the Jefferson County FSA office as soon as conditions allow safe access. The Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District is also a resource for ranchers dealing with erosion or water quality concerns following fire.
The dual pressures of drought and wildfire are a stark illustration of the compounding climate pressures that Central Oregon's agricultural economy now faces each summer. For Jefferson County's farming families, this year underscores how thin the margin has become.