Cooler and wetter weather allows the NUID board to give growers another .05 acre footThe North Unit Irrigation Board decided on Tuesday, June 14, to increase the amount of water its patrons may use on their crops this year. It's a tiny increase, just five 100ths of an acre foot, but at least it's a step forward instead of the unprecedented step backwards that happened last year.
Due to the extended, severe drought, and the water releases environmental agreements require the district to release, the board started the year with a starkly conservative allotment, just .45 acre feet of water, less than a quarter of the water North Unit farmers usually get. Last year the board started with one acre foot, and extreme dry and hot weather caused them to back down from that allotment twice, to finally deliver only .8 acre feet of water, and cut the season off mid-August when water usually flows through to October.
The cooler, rainier spring has allowed the board to increase the allotment incrementally from .45 acre feet to .55 acre feet for Deschutes water users, and .28 acre feet for Crooked River water users.
{loadposition sub-article-01}