Sarah Gettinger, a Juniper Ridge neighborhood resident, is concerned about her well water levels, just after having it filled a week ago. She has rented the same house in the area for 12 years. She told us the issues started getting worse about five years ago.
If you’re considering purchasing a property with acreage in Central Oregon, whether it be a hobby farm or a full-scale hay operation, you need to understand the legal and practical implications of owning land on acreage with agricultural intent.
Cate Casad started noticing the for-sale signs pop up over the last year on farms around Central Oregon, which has been mired in water shortages amid a yearslong megadrought.
A drought emergency declaration is being considered again by Deschutes County commissioners. Approval could help local farmers and ranchers access loans and state support to overcome losses related to the drought, now in its fourth year.
A new report recently released by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife calls for new strategies and policy tools to address consequences of increasing human demand for water and the effects of climate change on Washington’s rivers, streams and salmon.
From late Dec. 2022 into Jan. 2023, a series of nine “atmospheric rivers” dumped a record amount of rain and mountain snow across the western U.S. and Canada, hitting California particularly hard.
The thick, dark clouds that have poured over the Cascades from Western Oregon in winter have provided only mediocre amounts of snowfall in recent years. Now, some hope cloud seeding could turn things around and boost snowpack in times of drought.
Whitley is a native Oregonian who grew up on her family’s small beef ranch in Douglas County. She said the goal of a PhotoVoice gallery is to spark conversation and deepen understanding of the issues facing a group of people.
Moisture this winter provides some hope for a better year but many farmers are leaving the business or cutting production.
