June 10, 2026 7:00 a.m. 

Governor Tina Kotek has declared a drought emergency for Douglas and four other counties in Oregon through Executive Order 26-09 and directed state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance.

A release from the Governor’s Office issued Wednesday morning said this marks the 4th drought declaration order issued this year. In total, 17 of Oregon’s 36 counties are now under drought emergency status. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Douglas County is experiencing severe and extreme drought conditions.

Harney, Gilliam, Lake and Malheur counties are experiencing moderate and severe drought and were also included in the new drought emergency declaration.

Seasonal climate and drought outlooks indicate that drought conditions in all these counties are likely to persist.

For Douglas County, as of May 19th the U.S. Drought Monitor showed all of the county in drought conditions ranging from moderate to extreme drought. 85 percent of the county is in severe to extreme drought, including 11 percent in extreme drought. Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index values for the water year thus far also indicate moderate to severe conditions, with some areas reaching extreme drought levels.

The release said as state and local officials coordinate with federal and Tribal partners, conditions will be closely monitored by the state’s natural resource and public safety agencies. This includes the Oregon Water Resources Department and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.

On April 29th, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners declared an Emergency Drought Order for the county. They sent an urgent letter to the Governor, requesting the official executive order from the state. That started a process of data analysis from state officials, which led to the Governor’s Executive Order.