Drought in Benton County, OR: 3.5 years in 10 since 2000

3.5 years in 10

Benton County, OR: 9 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2001 (43 wk), 2014 (18 wk), 2015 (26 wk), 2018 (24 wk), 2019 (25 wk), 2020 (46 wk), 2021 (38 wk), 2023 (28 wk) and 2025 (28 wk). Not a single drought week in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2024.

Plan for drought as normal: shrink the lawn, go drip and natives

Drought is the normal state of things here. Most of the yard goes to natives and gravel on drip; any grass that stays is a small, tough patch.

If you are replacing turf, plant natives in fall so roots set before the Sep peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

This is one step drier than the yearly count alone suggests, because 31% of growing-season weeks here were in drought.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (6 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (1.9 in 10).

Against the rest of OR

26th most drought-prone of 36 OR counties; the OR middle is 4.4 in 10. Closest on the list: Multnomah County (3.8 in 10) and Hood River County (3.5 in 10). Driest in OR: Lake County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Clatsop County (2.7 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Sep (43% of weeks), then Aug (36%) and Jul (33%). Least in Jan (11%). May to September averages 31%.

11 Jan
15 Feb
19 Mar
17 Apr
15 May
26 Jun
33 Jul
36 Aug
43 Sep
31 Oct
27 Nov
18 Dec

The worst year: 2020

2020: 46 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 24.2% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 13.2% at D2, 0.5% at D3, never any D4. Longest unbroken spell: 44 weeks, Mar 10, 2020 to Jan 5, 2021.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 28 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 1.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 29 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.