As Oregon’s drought emergency grows more severe, check back at this page or at our Oregon 2026 Drought page for the latest updates and additions to this list of drought-related news stories from local, state, and national outlets and publications.
If you see a news story we missed, let us know.
- Warm Winter and Low Snowpack Leads to Drought in Much of Eastern Oregon (Hermiston Herald, July 1, 2026)
- Union County Approves Local Drought Emergency Declaration (Elkhorn Media Group, June 29, 2026)
- Oregon Law Lets One Wealthy Region Turn the Desert “Green” While Famers Pay Price When Drought Hits (OPB, June 25, 2026)
- Even as Rain Looms Drought Conditions Worsen Across the Pacific Northwest (KOIN News, June 25, 2026)
- Oregon Drought Emergencies Declared in Over Half of the State’s Counties (The Oregonian, June 25, 2026)
- Drought Strengthens Hold on Oregon (Capital Press, June 25, 2026)
- With Josephine and Wasco Counties Half of Oregon Now Under Drought Emergency (KGW News, June 24, 2026)
- Two Oregon Agencies Help Governments Communicate Need to Conserve Water as Drought Intensifies (KLCC Radio, June 16, 2026)
- Drought Conditions Will Continue Deteriorating in Oregon (Capital Press, June 11, 2026)
- Drought Declared in Douglas County and Four Other Oregon Counties (KLCC Radio, June 11, 2026)
- Oregon Drought Emergencies Spread to Nearly Half the State’s Counties as Wildfire Season Looms (The Oregonian, June 11, 2026)
- Nearly Half of Oregon Under Emergency Drought Declaration (Central Oregon Daily News, June 10, 2026)
- The Winter’s Snow Drought is Now a Full-Blown Water Crisis (Atmos, June 10, 2026)
- Officials Urge Caution as Extreme Heat Arrives in Portland Metro Area (OPB, June 9, 2026)
- As Drought Grows, Oregon Officials Offer Water Conservation Tips (KLCC Radio, May 28, 2026)
- AccuWeather Releases 2026 Oregon Fire Forecast — It’s Not Great (Salem Statesman Journal, May 25, 2026)
- Parts of Central Oregon Now in Extreme Drought as Conditions Rapidly Worsen (Central Oregon Daily, May 14, 2026)
- Oregon Prepares for a Challenging Summer of Water Shortages and High Fire Risk (New York Times, May 12, 2026)
- Oregon Faces Longer Fire Season Due to Historic Heat, Drought, Fire (Oregon Capital Chronicle, May 5, 2026)
- Drought Declarations Expand as Oregon Deals With Aftermath of Historically Warm Winter (OPB, April 30, 2026)
- Bend Water Conservation Drought Emergency (Central Oregon Daily, April 24, 2026)
- Jefferson County Drought Emergency Request (Central Oregon Daily, March 19, 2026)
- Oregon’s “Terrible” Snowpack Could Lead to Early Irrigation Season (Capital Press, March 2, 2026)
- Snow Drought in the West Reaches Record Levels (New York Times, Feb. 1, 2026)
Banner photo by Tommy Hough.