4 — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
AGRI-BUSINESS
WATER
Continued from Page 3
The basic idea,
Osborn said, is based
on the water right, a
legal right that en-
titles the holder to use
a certain amount of
water for a benefi cial
purpose. In Baker
County and other
places with a large
agriculture industry,
that purpose in most
cases is growing crops.
When water is
plentiful the system
all but runs itself, she
said.
“Pretty much every-
body who has a water
right can get enough
water,” Osborn said.
But in arid regions
such as Baker County,
where in many places
the annual precipita-
S. John Collins/Baker City Herald
tion averages less 12
Baker County Watermaster Marcy Osborn said 2019 was a
inches, by some point
each year the streams good year in terms of irrigation water supply.
no longer carry enough
water to satisfy every water rights holder’s full solely by water volume, though.
share.
Osborn said the timing of the spring snow-
That’s about the point Osborn expects her
melt can also have a major effect on how early
offi ce phone to ring.
her offi ce starts getting requests from water
It’s also the beginning of the hectic season
rights holders.
for her and her staff, which includes two assis-
This spring, for instance, the snow melted
tant watermasters.
slowly and steadily. That meant streams
That initial call inevitably is followed by
in most of the county continued to produce
others, Osborn said, each made by a water
ample volumes well into summer.
rights holder who no longer is receiving a full
In some years, by contrast, a heat wave in
allotment.
May will rapidly melt much of the mountain
The watermaster’s duty is to start cutting
snow, leading to a big, but short-lived, fl ush of
off water to the holders of the “youngest”
water.
rights — those with the most recent date.
That negates to a large extent the benefi ts
Even those can be pretty venerable, how-
of even a deep snowpack, since irrigators can
ever, in a county such as Baker, where the
only use so much water at one time.
oldest water rights date to the 1860s.
“If it warms up into the 80s in May, we can
During some drought years over the past
be in the same boat as if we didn’t have a lot
decade, Osborn said the watermaster’s offi ce
of snowpack,” Osborn said. “Springtime really
started its “regulation” season — responding
makes or breaks the irrigation season around
to calls from irrigators who were short on
here.”
water — as early as May.
This year, as Osborn mentioned, most of the
But 2019 was different.
factors were favorable.
“We had a really wet spring, it seemed like,
And the combination of ample precipitation
and good snowpack obviously helped,” Osborn and a mountain snowpack that melted slowly
said. “We were about two to three weeks be-
was refl ected in the U.S. Drought Monitor (see
hind (last year) when we started regulating.
maps at right).
We defi nitely had more water this year.”
See Water/Page 24
The irrigation season isn’t determined
OCTOBER 2019
Watching The Drought Disappear...
U.S. Drought Monitor
February 19, 2019
Oregon
(Released Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019)
Valid 7 a.m. EST
Drought Conditions (Percent Area)
Current
Last Week
02-12-2019
3 Months Ago
11-20-2018
Start of
Calendar Year
None
D0-D4 D1-D4 D2-D4 D3-D4
2.12
97.88
80.91
56.97
7.13
D4
0.00
0.00
100.00 88.06
62.67
11.54
0.00
0.00
100.00
98.65
86.21
34.26
0.00
0.00
100.00 91.78
78.16
23.39
0.00
0.00
100.00 97.68
87.81
31.62
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
01-01-2019
Start of
Water Year
09-25-2018
One Year Ago
02-20-2018
23.82
76.18
38.32
Intensity:
D0 Abnormally Dry
D3 Extreme Drought
D1 Moderate Drought
D4 Exceptional Drought
D2 Severe Drought
The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions.
Local conditions may vary. See accompanying text summary
for forecast statements.
Author:
Brad Rippey
U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
U.S. Drought Monitor
March 12, 2019
Oregon
(Released Thursday, Mar. 14, 2019)
Valid 8 a.m. EDT
Drought Conditions (Percent Area)
Current
Last Week
03-05-2019
3 Months Ago
12-11-2018
Start of
Calendar Year
None
D0-D4 D1-D4 D2-D4 D3-D4
20.67
79.33
40.23
1.58
15.93
84.07
63.89
0.00
100.00
98.65
0.00
100.00
0.00
23.86
D4
0.00
0.00
25.91
0.00
0.00
86.21
36.38
0.00
91.78
78.16
23.39
0.00
100.00
97.68
87.81
31.62
0.00
76.14
38.32
0.00
0.00
0.00
01-01-2019
Start of
Water Year
09-25-2018
One Year Ago
03-13-2018
Intensity:
D0 Abnormally Dry
D3 Extreme Drought
D1 Moderate Drought
D4 Exceptional Drought
D2 Severe Drought
The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions.
Local conditions may vary. See accompanying text summary
for forecast statements.
Author:
Jessica Blunden
NCEI/NOAA
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
U.S. Drought Monitor
April 16, 2019
Oregon
(Released Thursday, Apr. 18, 2019)
Valid 8 a.m. EDT
Drought Conditions (Percent Area)
Current
Last Week
04-09-2019
3 Months Ago
01-15-2019
Start of
Calendar Year
None
D0-D4 D1-D4 D2-D4 D3-D4
76.65
23.35
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
D4
43.21
56.79
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
100.00
91.78
78.16
23.39
0.00
0.00
100.00
91.78
78.16
23.39
0.00
0.00
100.00
97.68
87.81
31.62
0.00
32.94
67.06
31.83
0.00
0.00
0.00
01-01-2019
Start of
Water Year
09-25-2018
One Year Ago
04-17-2018
Intensity:
D0 Abnormally Dry
D3 Extreme Drought
D1 Moderate Drought
D4 Exceptional Drought
D2 Severe Drought
The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions.
Local conditions may vary. See accompanying text summary
for forecast statements.
Author:
David Miskus
NOAA/NWS/NCEP/CPC
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/