Tumalo Irrigation District

Adjustment to 2026 Water Start Date – Tumalo Creek Conditions

Tumalo Irrigation District will be adjusting the start of the 2026 irrigation season earlier than planned due to earlier-than-normal snowmelt and accelerated runoff in Tumalo Creek.

Current conditions show that runoff is occurring ahead of the historical schedule. In simple terms, water is arriving earlier and if we wait, we risk losing usable supplies instead of putting them to work.

To address this, the District is adjusting the start date to better align delivery with actual hydrologic conditions.

New Start Date: 4/1/2026

This is a timing adjustment based on real conditions on Tumalo Creek.

The goal is straightforward: capture available water now and manage it in a way that supports reliability throughout the irrigation season.

We appreciate your flexibility as we respond to changing water supply conditions.

What does this mean:

• Be patient, the staff will have a turn on list, and they will open patrons in the order that works the quickest, calling every 3 hours will not move you up in the order of turn on.
• If you have already called for the April 6th start date of first water, we will be turning you on based on the new start date.
• You do not need to call into the office to update your request for water start date.
• Give us a couple of days to get everything turned on to a 70% delivery rate.
• Calling field staff directly slows down the turn on process for all the patrons.
• Be prepared to take water earlier than originally planned. 
• Ensure turnouts, ditches, and fields are ready. 
• If you are irrigating watch the overnight temperature to avoid freezing your pump.
• Expect updates as conditions continue to evolve. 

Chris Schull,  District Manager