It has been a brutal summer for Jefferson County's farming community — and the pressure isn't just coming from the heat. Record-low winter snowpack, early runoff, and aggressive state water curtailments have left irrigation districts delivering far less water than growers need, at exactly the moment crops require it most.

North Unit Irrigation District (NUID), which serves the heart of Jefferson County's agricultural land around Madras, Culver, and Metolius, approved reduced water allotments back in March. For the 2026 season, farmers are receiving approximately 1.30 acre-feet per acre from the Deschutes River and 0.65 acre-feet per acre from the Crooked River — working out to roughly 57% of what irrigators typically receive in a good year.

Junior Rights Holders Hit First

Oregon's water law operates on a seniority system: older water rights are served first, and newer "junior" rights are curtailed when supply runs short. This year, the Oregon Water Resources Department warned early in the season that curtailments were likely to reach priority dates older than normal — catching water users who had rarely or never been regulated before.

Other irrigation districts serving Jefferson County patrons followed suit in early July, cutting deliveries to hundreds of farms across the Deschutes Basin. The result: some fields that are typically lush in August are showing drought stress, and farmers are making hard decisions about which crops to prioritize and which to let go.

Compounding Pressures from Fire Season

The historic 2026 wildfire season has compounded the agricultural strain. The Rowe Creek Complex and Bench Fire have consumed hundreds of thousands of acres of rangeland and grassland across the region. For ranchers whose cattle graze public and private land in fire zones, the losses extend far beyond what water shortages alone would cause. The ongoing closure of US Highway 26 east of Prineville has also disrupted some supply and transport routes.

Help Available for Affected Producers

Farmers and ranchers facing water shortages or fire-related losses have several resources available:

  • USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA): The Madras FSA office can provide information on emergency loan programs and disaster assistance. Call ahead to confirm hours during the current fire season.
  • Oregon Department of Agriculture: Drought resources available at oregon.gov/ODA.
  • OSU Extension Service: Jefferson County's local extension office can assist with crop planning under water-limited conditions.
  • North Unit Irrigation District: Updated delivery schedules and allotment information at northunitidor.gov.

Agricultural producers are also encouraged to document all drought and fire-related losses carefully, as the information may be needed for future disaster declarations and assistance applications.