The 2026 irrigation season is officially behind Jefferson County’s farming community. The North Unit Irrigation District (NUID) closed its water delivery operations on October 9 — on schedule, but at the close of one of the leaner years in recent memory for growers across the county’s high desert plateau.
The district, which serves roughly 58,000 acres of farmland in Jefferson County, entered the season already under pressure. In late March, the NUID board approved reduced water allotments: 1.30 acre-feet per acre from the Deschutes River and 0.65 acre-feet per acre from the Crooked River — well below what many growers consider adequate for full crop production. The water release from Haystack Reservoir was set for April 5.
A Season Defined by Drought
The allotment cuts reflected real conditions: below-average snowpack in the Cascades during the winter of 2025–26, an early runoff pulse, and reservoir storage levels that lagged historical norms heading into the growing season. By mid-spring, parts of Jefferson, Deschutes, and Crook counties had entered extreme drought status on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Jefferson County’s agricultural economy — built on wheat, grass seed, mint, and hay — is heavily dependent on reliable irrigation water from the Deschutes and Crooked River systems. In lean years, reduced allotments translate directly into reduced yields and compressed margins for operations already working with thin buffers. Many growers faced difficult choices this summer about which fields to irrigate and which crops to prioritize.
Looking Toward 2027
With the season closed, attention now shifts to fall and winter snowpack across the Cascades and eastern Oregon ranges. Early accumulation — or the lack of it — will shape water availability projections for 2027 well before spring planting begins. Farmers and water managers will be watching conditions closely.
Extension advisors note that multi-year drought patterns may push some growers toward irrigation efficiency investments, drought-tolerant crop varieties, or strategic fallowing of marginal acreage. The Oregon Water Resources Department maintains a drought monitoring website where growers can track conditions as the off-season unfolds.
The North Unit Irrigation District office is located in Madras and can be reached at (541) 475-3625 for information on district operations and the 2027 season planning timeline.