Early Strawberry Season One Sign of Late Summer Drought
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
“An early spring is really exciting,” said Jordan Boldt, executive director of the Vancouver Farmers Market, “but the biggest concern is the water… Farmers are concerned about whether or not they will be able to irrigate the way they need to.”
Warmer weather earlier in the farmer’s market season has drawn more people, and farmers have had more to sell than usual. “We’ve seen so many flowers ready in a short period of time,” said Bobby Her, a flower farmer near Woodburn. He’s seeing an abundance of flowers all at once.
The peonies are about a month early, he said, but his concern is flowers that bloom in late summer, like dahlias. He’s anticipating a dry late summer, but also says he has well water access that will help.
Where farmers get their water—well water versus an irrigation district, which often draw from rivers—can affect how much control a farmer has over the supply.
But the perception that wells give better water access isn’t necessarily correct. Oregon Department of Agriculture spokesman Bruce Pokarney said, “Those that have a well might have more to use than those that don’t, but the aquifers get replenished from runoff (from snow pack) and if there isn’t enough runoff it might be a problem too.”
The May water supply report from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Oregon continues to show record low snowpack meaning low stream flows later in the summer. Along the Cascades, snowpack was 60 to 90 percent below typical levels for May.
Gov. Kate Brown has declared a drought in seven counties, mostly in the southeastern part of the state, while seven more have requested a governor’s declaration. One historical request comes from Lane County, which is the first western county to request one. The Oregon Drought Council is expected to make a determination by the end of the week.
A governor’s declaration gives the state more regulatory flexibility to ensure efficient management of limited resources. Last year, nine counties sought drought relief from the state. Counties can also seek federal drought assistance.
“It’s going to be a challenging year. A lot of growers recognize this and made decisions on how much they were going to plant this year and what they put in,” said Pokarney.
That means some may have switched from vegetables to a grain that requires less water, while some in Eastern Oregon are leaving more land fallow—or uncultivated—than is typical.
For some, it’s a tension that has been there for years as in Klamath County, where homeowners, farmers and tribal members are at odds. This year’s drought could further strain water supplies in the Klamath Basin.
Klamath irrigators could be shut off from drawing water out of the Upper Klamath Lake before the end of May if use doesn’t decrease, Klamath Falls Herald and News reported. Farmers are being urged to switch to groundwater.
Yet, that isn’t necessarily a solution, either, said Jim McCarthy, the communications director and Southern Oregon program manager for WaterWatch, a conservation organization focused on reform of Oregon’s water laws.
“The ground level water is dropping there, and so the cities have to pay more to pump and some private wells are going dry,” he said.
For years, the Klamath Water and Power Agency (KWAPA) has been using groundwater to keep river flows at a certain level due to federal protections on endangered fish in the Klamath River.
Yet, the water table fell about four feet in some areas due to the intense irrigation from farmers in the region last year, the Klamath Falls Herald and News reported.
The strain on water has meant drilling deeper, but McCarthy questioned, “whether or not this race to the bottom is leading to a race to disaster.”
Still, as McCarthy pointed out, it might be a stretch for urban residents to see a connection with rural water users. Unlike in Klamath County, Portlanders do not have well water or manage their own water right.
But one thing does serve as a reminder: Early farmer’s market produce might taste good, but it’s also symptomatic of a drought.
The strawberries shouldn’t be ripe yet. Even cherries are getting close, said Pokarney, and those aren’t supposed to be ready until July. So, while many consumers are excited to see spring and summer favorites, the early fruit really means we’re in for a dry summer, which could actually mean less produce left to ripen in the fall.
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