This is Bob Bragg with the Farm News & Views Report for the week of March 16th.
As we count down the days to Spring of 2026, this winter has been one of the driest on record, according to Colorado State Climatologist and Director of the Colorado Climate Center Russ Schumacker, who points out that this winter was eclipsed only by the winters of 1976-77 and 1980-81, when measured by snow water equivalent. Only a small portion of southeastern Colorado had above-average winter precipitation. The U.S. Colorado Basin River Forecast Center’s March report pointed out that much of the Colorado River drainage, especially in the mountains of Colorado and Utah, had experienced their worst snowpack since at least 1981. It has also been the warmest winter on record, going back 132 years, which was 1.6°F above the previous warmest winter of 1980-81. Cortez registered 21 days of above 60 degrees, breaking the record of 14 days above 60 degrees in the past. The U.S. Colorado Basin River Forecast Center’s March report pointed out that much of the Colorado River drainage, especially in the mountains of Colorado and Utah, had experienced the worst snowpack since at least 1981.
While there is still the possibility of abnormal precipitation that would add to reservoir levels and soil moisture in the region, many farmers are expecting a dry spring that will affect the amount of irrigation water they will have for the 2026 irrigation season. Irrigation districts are setting allocations with the expedition that dry conditions may get worse rather than better in Montezuma and Dolores Counties.
Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company is setting the initial irrigation water allocation at 18 inches for approximately 37,000 irrigable acres, which will allow farmers to apply enough water, to grow two cuttings of hay or provide water for produce crops, home gardens and filling stock ponds.
The Dolores Project provides water from the Dolores River that is used for irrigation, municipal and industrial needs, recreation, and maintaining fish and wildlife, in the Dove Creek area, central Montezuma Valley, and south to the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation. A full and supplemental supply of irrigation water is available for 61,660 acres. But full service farmers that receive irrigation for crop production may find that they will have less water this growing season, since their allocation are likely to be reduced. DWCD full service water allocations are expected to only be 2.5 inches per acre for farmers in the northern part of the District.
As if U.S. farmers haven’t had enough headwind this year, with off and on again tariffs for inputs, machinery replacement, repairs and crop supplies, along with uncertain farm policies, due to the lack of a new Farm Bill. Now two plus weeks of the war with Iran continues to deepen uncertainty for agricultural producers. The American Farm Bureau Federation points out that the Strait of Hormuz is central to energy and fertilizer trade. Before the war started, about 20 million barrels of oil transitioned the Strait daily. Now, the closure is affecting fertilizer prices, since energy is a major inputfor fertilizer production, and transportation disruptions and heightened risks in the region are amplifying volatility across agricultural input markets. Letters from various farm interest group continue to hit Washington, asking for relief for expenses that include fertilizer, fuel, farm inputs and many other costs that are being impacted by fallout from the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz which is disrupting trade throughout the Middle East.
Mark Twain wrote,"In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours."
