\t\t\t\t\tQuickTake:<\/p>\n
With snowpack hitting record lows this winter, Lane County has faced a July defined by extreme drought conditions and a heightened wildfire threat.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been generally pleasant this summer in Lane County.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Average temperatures. Limited wildfire smoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s been dry \u2014 and that\u2019s setting up August and September for escalating drought conditions and wildfire threats, according to Oregon State Climatologist Larry O\u2019Neill.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis summer is really important in terms of just seeing how resilient we are to it, and specifically to our water supply, to our economy, wildfire risk, and things like that,\u201d O\u2019Neill said. \u201cThis will be kind of a learning experience for us to see if we are able to weather the storm, or do we need to do more?\u201d<\/p>\n
Low snowpack combined with lower winter rainfall amounts means this year\u2019s drought is anticipated to overtake the historic summer drought of 2015, caused by what the U.S. Department of Agriculture calls the \u201cGreat Western Snow Drought.\u201d That means this year\u2019s drought could become the worst on record, O\u2019Neill said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As of July 30, all of Lane County is in some form of drought, as designated by the U.S. Drought Monitor, and two-thirds of the county is in severe or extreme conditions.<\/p>\n
Why is drought so bad?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Last winter\u2019s record-breaking warmth meant high elevation precipitation fell as rain instead of snow, prompting the worst snowpack in state history. In March of this year, when snowpack typically is at its peak, it was 75% below average, the lowest on record at that time, according to the Department of Agriculture.<\/p>\n Additionally, the last 18 months, from January 2025 through June 2026, were the sixth-driest stretch for the county, O\u2019Neill said.\u00a0<\/p>\n In all, 21 of Oregon\u2019s 36 Oregon counties have received drought declarations. Drought declarations are approved by the governor when drought conditions have an adverse impact on farming and agriculture, recreation and wildfire risk. Drought declarations clear the way for access to state emergency water rights tools.<\/p>\n Lane County has yet to submit its declaration, but O\u2019Neill said that the required conditions are already present.\u00a0<\/p>\n As this dry summer persists, the conditions will put more demand on groundwater resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople have wells, and during times of drought, when there\u2019s scarcity in surface water, people pump more out of their wells, causing groundwater to deplete much faster than it normally would,\u201d O\u2019Neill said.\u00a0<\/p>\n With droughts becoming more frequent and extreme, groundwater levels in almost all of the state are declining.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, the lack of water is forcing the state to draw down reservoirs. In the Willamette Valley, the reservoir system is roughly 30% below what water managers target for this time of year, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.\u00a0<\/p>\n O\u2019Neill said it could take many years for those reservoir systems to fully recover, unless next year is historically wet \u2014 and that could be in the cards.\u201dIt looks locked in that it\u2019s highly likely we\u2019ll get a very strong El Ni\u00f1o event,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since the 1980s, Oregon has had three such events, and those have brought average to above-average precipitation to Oregon.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on previous El Ni\u00f1o events, this one could end up being wet, which could be exactly what we need to recover from the drought,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The last strong El Ni\u00f1o event occurred right after the 2015 drought, giving a significant boost to Oregon reservoir and groundwater levels, according to the Oregon Water Resources Department.<\/p>\n Wildfire risk and management<\/strong><\/p>\n Scientists and experts warned of a devastating wildfire season, and for most of the state that\u2019s been true. As of July 31, nearly 1.9 million acres have been burned, approaching the most ever recorded. It\u2019s about 2.5% of the state\u2019s area.<\/p>\n However, despite generally dry conditions, Lane County has for the most part been spared large blazes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe also had a bit of rain in mid-to-late June, and some cool weather that I think helped keep things from drying out too early,\u201d he said. A nighttime marine layer that brings in cloudy and foggy morning weather has been common throughout July, he added. \u201cAll those things keep moisture in the soil and in the vegetation.\u201d<\/p>\n Thunderstorms that rolled over Lane County last week resulted in fire weather watches in portions of the region. However, the storms brought just enough rain to ease fire danger, and the lightning was concentrated over the Willamette Valley where there are significantly fewer standing forests.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Lane County, only one significant fire came out of the storms: Hells Hill Fire, which burned 9 acres, 4 miles southeast of Marcola<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition, O\u2019Neill credited quick suppression efforts as a big reason for the relatively low fire activity thus far in Lane County.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a matter of fortune, but we\u2019ve also attacked fire starts in western Oregon very quickly,\u201d he said. \u201cThe state has increased its investment in resources like more planes, helicopters, and personnel. The University of Oregon\u2019s camera system is also a key asset, allowing us to fight fires while they\u2019re small.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Neill also pointed out that so far Lane County has largely dodged the smoke from the fires. Winds blowing north and east have pushed the smoke over Idaho and Utah, largely sparing the Willamette Valley, he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2601\ufe0f Satellite imagery as of Saturday evening shows cloud cover across western Oregon\/Washington as a weak front passes through. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, wildfire smoke east of the Cascades is being pushed eastward as onshore flow (winds coming from the west) persists. #ORwx<\/a> #WAwx<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Hb6oF2OrKo<\/a><\/p>\n\n