Tumalo Irrigation District

06-23-26: Unfortunately, water supply conditions have deteriorated to the point that the District can no longer maintain full deliveries to all patrons simultaneously. To stretch the available supply and provide the greatest benefit to the largest number of water users, TID will be implementing a district-wide rotation schedule. This is not a decision we make lightly. Staff have exhausted operational adjustments and conservation measures to delay rotation as long as possible. The rotation is intended to share the impacts of the drought as fairly as possible across the District while preserving our ability to continue delivering water throughout the season. Patrons have been assigned to either Rotation 1 (Piped) or Rotation 2 (Not Piped/Open Ditch) and will receive water according to the established rotation schedule.

Rotation 1 patrons (Piped) will begin receiving water on Wednesday the 24th  and will remain on until Monday the 29th (Rotation 2 patrons will be shut OFF) .  Water for Rotation 2 patrons (Not Piped/Open Ditch) will be started on Monday the 29th when their delivery period begins. The rotation assignments are shown on the District's published rotation schedule.  Switch-over will occur every Monday morning, for a 7 day ON, 7 day OFF rotation. Rotation will continue to the end of the season.

The District recognizes the challenges that rotational deliveries create for agricultural operations and appreciates the cooperation and flexibility of our patrons. Staff will continue to closely monitor streamflow’s, reservoir conditions, weather forecasts, and system demands. Should conditions improve, the District will reevaluate the need for rotation and adjust operations accordingly. Patrons are encouraged to use water efficiently and contact the District office with any questions regarding their assigned rotation schedule.

We understand the challenges for our patrons and appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work through one of the most difficult water years in recent history.

2026 Rotation Schedule.pdf

06-19-26: To help avoid implementing a formal water rotation, District staff will be making slight flow adjustments across the system. While patrons may notice minor changes in delivery rates, these adjustments are being made to stretch the available water supply and maintain deliveries to all users as equitably as possible. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to monitor conditions and make operational decisions based on available water supplies.

05-15-26: Tumalo Creek flows are continuing to drop. All signs are pointing to snowmelt being over, or very close to over, for the season. The 9.5 CFS of live flow on the Deschutes River has been regulated off by the State. We have some water coming from Crescent Lake that we will be able to pick up Monday afternoon. And we will be increasing the outflow from the lake again on Monday.

Staff will be doing some area specific rotations to help get everyone to get some water over the next couple of days. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this very difficult water year.

05-11-26: Water flows on Tumalo Creek are bouncing up and down every 24 hrs. There is currently a 40 CFS fluctuation in flows on the creek. The low end of the bounce occurs around 4 to 7 pm.

So, afternoon flows are slowed down. The water comes back overnight and increases flows. This is an early indicator of Tumalo Creek snowmelt flows expiring for the year.

We are bringing water in from Crescent Lake this morning to have for this next weekend as there is 5 Days of travel time from Crescent to Bend.

Snow Water Equivalent for the entire Deschutes basin is at 6%

We are not going to see any additional run-off of snow into Crescent Lake. We will only have the current 27k Acre feet of water of that number on 17k will have pressure behind it so we can control it. Once we hit what is known as the dead pool of 10k there will only be so much water that will leave the lake that we will be able to deliver.

Live flow on the main stem Deschutes is at the lowest record at 450CFS, typical flows are 1000CFS. The 9.5 CFS of live flow on the Deschutes is currently unavailable for TID to use.

05-05-26: Flows have increased and we finally have enough water to deliver 70%. The crew is out making adjustments now. If you don't feel that you are getting 70% or that your gate or valve needs adjusted, please call the office and we will dispatch a ditch rider. 541-382-3053

04-30-26: We are starting to see minor flow increases on Tumalo Creek. Field staff is still moving water around the ditches to get everyone some flow. Continue to expect shortages and rolling outages, but we are anticipating flows will increase by Monday, and staff will begin making adjustments on the open ditches at that time. 

04-27-26: Tumalo Creek dropped another 20 cfs overnight. We are bringing in water from Crescent, however it will take 5 days travel time before we can divert it into our system. Expect rolling outages throughout the District over the next 7 days as we work on re-balancing the system. 

04-24-26: There has been no increase in Tumalo Creek's flows due to weather. The field crew is still working hard to spread the available supply around. REMINDER: Throwing yard debris, clippings and pinecones, in the ditches does not help, and affects the delivery of water to your downstream neighbors. 

04-20-26: Staff is aware of low flows and are actively working to deliver any water they can. We ask that you limit your phone calls if possible.  

Our water supply is solely dependent on the weather, so we have no way to predict when we will have to begin rotation, or when we will have to shut off for the season.

What we know now:

• We are attempting to deliver 70%, but Tumalo Creek is currently very low and we are experiencing a district wide shortage of water.
• Once Tumalo Creek levels drop later in the spring, we will start pulling from Crescent Lake. At that time we will start the rotation.
• Generally, the earliest Tumalo Creek runs out is the 3rd week of June and the latest is the 3rd week of July. However, this year it could be even sooner, as we have had the worst year of snowpack levels since the 1970’s.
• At this time, the District Manager’s best guess is that we will be lucky if we can make it to a September shut-off date.

The water start date was moved up to April 1st for the 2026 irrigation season. Please keep in mind the first few weeks of the season you should expect low and intermittent flows. Please call the office in advance to be put on the list if you want water! (541-382-3053) We do not automatically open everyone’s gates and valves.

Read a brief overview of where our water supply comes from here.

To view  Crescent Lake's level, click here. This data is updated daily and shows current data about the Deschutes River Basin Storage and Discharge.

To view Tumalo Creek's daily flow, click here.

The OSU Extension Service included an article in their most recent newsletter on page 4 about Drought Year Management. If you are interested in reading this article you can view the newsletter here.

The Oregon Water Resources Department maintains a drought website that provides the status of current water conditions and state drought declarations, as well as information on what you can do to use water wisely.  Visit their drought page here.

View Current Hydromet readings for the Deschutes Basin here.