The North Unit Irrigation District closed its 2026 irrigation season on October 9, capping a year defined by tight water supplies and reduced allotments that tested Jefferson County's agricultural community from spring planting through fall harvest.
The North Unit delivers irrigation water to roughly 58,000 acres in Jefferson County — the backbone of the county's farming economy, which includes grass seed, wheat, potatoes, mint, and hay among its major crops.
A Tight Water Year
The 2026 season was shaped by a drier-than-normal winter that left Cascade snowpack below average heading into spring. In late March, the NUID board approved reduced allotments: 1.30 acre-feet per acre from the Deschutes River and 0.65 acre-feet per acre from the Crooked River — well below the totals many irrigators had budgeted for.
The reduced allocations forced growers across the district to make difficult decisions about which fields to prioritize, which crops to cut back, and how to wring maximum efficiency out of every acre-foot delivered. Some farmers shifted practices midseason, fallowing marginal ground or accelerating moves toward more water-efficient irrigation equipment.
Season Wraps on Schedule
Despite the pressure, the district completed the season and shut down delivery on the planned October 9 date. The end of the irrigation season marks the beginning of the district's maintenance window, when crews flush laterals, inspect and repair headgates, and prepare the canal system for winter. That infrastructure work is critical to ensuring delivery reliability when water comes back online in spring.
Looking Ahead to 2027
With the 2026 harvest now largely in, Jefferson County farmers and water managers are turning their attention to winter snowpack. Snowpack in the Cascades — monitored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service through a network of SNOTEL stations — is the primary predictor of Deschutes River flows and reservoir storage, which determine how much water will be available for the following season.
Water managers typically begin reviewing snowpack data and setting preliminary allotments in late winter, with final decisions made in early spring after reservoir levels and stream flow forecasts are clearer.
After a challenging 2026, local ranchers and row-crop farmers are hoping for a wet, cold winter that rebuilds snowpack and eases the pressure on a system that has faced tightening supplies over successive dry years.
Residents can follow North Unit Irrigation District updates at northunitidor.gov or by calling the Madras district office at (541) 475-3625.