drought
Posted inNews

Snow Way Out

Despite late-season snowfall, Central Oregon can still expect harsh drought conditions
Avatar photo by Jack Harvel

A late season snowstorm gave Central Oregonians a glimmer of hope that the drought, among the most severe in the region’s history, could be alleviated. Oregon’s Snotel precipitation report found the Upper Deschutes received about 99% of the median yearly snowfall. That figure may be a bit misleading, according to experts, and on April 25 […]

Posted inNews

(Illegal) Fireworks

All fireworks were banned in Bend due to the extreme heat, but they can still be bought and they can still be shot
Avatar photo by Jack Harvel

The City of Bend declared an emergency due to the extreme heat that mobilized services to unhoused communities and banned all non-professional firework use until July 9. Fireworks remained for sale in stands across the city, but under the emergency order the use of them is a class A civil infraction that can be fined […]

Posted inNews

Living on Lava

It’s no secret Central Oregon sits on and near volcanoes—but is having them erupt in our lifetime an actual threat?
Jaclyn Brandt

Dr. Julie Donnelly-Nolan has been mapping Newberry Volcano for the past 20 years, as part of her work as a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. She’s one of many scientists and government agents who keep their eyes on the potential for a volcanic eruption in Central Oregon. While it’s not the highest-priority threat local […]

Posted inNews

Side Notes 7/29-8/5

Avatar photo Erin Rook

Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday ordered state agencies to improve their efforts to conserve water. The executive order establishes a goal of reducing water consumption by 15 percent or more at all state-owned facilities by December 31, 2020. Agencies will be required to give a progress report on November 1, 2015, and annually for the […]

Posted inOpinion

Letters 7/21-7/28

The Source Staff

A DOWNSIDE TO THE CCC Although the Cascade Cycling Classic (CCC) may be considered a plus for Bend, I recently experienced the downside of this event. Apparently in signing up to host riders, an inconsiderate neighbor across from me agreed to also host an RV. Their drive is 45 degrees and short so they essentially […]

Posted inNews

The Blob and Oregon’s Drought

Spoiler alert: It doesn’t end well for the climate
Camilla Mortensen

By Camilla Mortensen If you slowly boil a frog in a pot of water, it won’t really stay in the water and die. Given a chance to jump out, it will. Even so, that boiling frog anecdote has been used endlessly to describe people who don’t react to negative changes if they happen gradually. And […]

Posted inNews

Side Notes 6/10-6/17

Avatar photo Erin Rook

Slide the City, a travelling 1,000-foot water slide, is coming to Bend despite concerns raised in other cities about its use of water in drought-affected regions. During the City Manager’s report at the end of the June 3 City Council meeting, City Manager Eric King authorized the company to purchase water from the City and […]

Posted inOpinion

Letters 5/26-6/2

The Source Staff

IN REPLY TO JARED BLACK “LETTERS” (5/27) Jared Black must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed the morning that he penned his attack on our work and credibility in our investigation on climate change impacts to Deschutes Basin streams in “Climate Change Impacts on Stream Flows, Upper Deschutes Basin, Oregon” (March […]

Posted inNews

Side Notes 5/27-6/3

Gov. Kate Brown declares drought emergency in Deschutes County
Avatar photo Erin Rook

Deschutes County joins a growing list of Oregon counties—now 15 deep—designated by Gov. Kate Brown as drought emergencies following Friday’s announcement. In addition to Deschutes, Grant, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Morrow, Umatilla, and Wasco counties have been added. “The majority of our state is parched due to the warm winter and lack of snow,” Gov. Brown said […]

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article