Drought order sought for Sisters-area rrigation district

Full reservoirs should help keep much of Deschutes County from experiencing severe drought conditions this summer – but county officials want to help one Sisters-area irrigation district that depends solely on Whychus Creek for its water.

County commissioners are being asked next Wednesday to adopt a resolution declaring a “localized state of emergency” and seeking a state drought emergency declaration for the Three Sisters Irrigation District.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Nathan Garibay, director of emergency services, noted that the county is among areas affected by low snowpack the past couple of years. Along with full reservoirs, springs that feed the Deschutes River are expected to maintain this year, easing the drought threat.

But there’s concern for a northwest area of the county served by the Three Sisters Irrigation District, including Sisters, Cloverdale and Lower Bridge.

Whychus Creek, a tributary of the Deschutes, is fed by snowmelt and runoff from the Three Sisters. An automated measurement site at Three Creek Meadows, southwest of Sisters, usually has 17 to 18 inches of snow-water content (how much water the snow would melt to create) as of April 1. It had less than half that in the drought year of 1977 – and at present has only one-third of an inch.

“It is highly likely, given the forecast runoff and water supply this summer, that irrigators in the TSID will face significantly reduced water availability, creating a significant threat to crops and livestock,” Garibay said in a memo to commissioners.

The local state of emergency and drought declaration “would ensure the district and water users would be eligible to apply for benefits under a variety of drought programs,” he added.

The resolution drafted for next Wednesday’s meeting also notes that “the extended weather forecast for Central Oregon projects higher than normal temperatures and below average precipitation.”