The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation “teacup” map for May 22 showed Emigrant Lake at 74 percent full.

Some water deliveries from Talent Irrigation District started flowing last week, signaling the start of the irrigation season for many water patrons, about six weeks earlier than it started last year.

The irrigation district voted May 9 on the opening date of the season and started taking water orders on May 19. Water began to flow on May 22.

TID is one of the city’s main water sources, in addition to Reeder Reservoir and the Talent-Ashland-Phoenix (TAP) system, according to previous reporting by Ashland.news. Water delivery patrons include the city of Ashland’s publicly owned Oak Knoll Golf Course. Not everyone was allowed to start irrigating the week of May 22, however, according to TID officials.

This time last year, TID didn’t know when it would start the season. The district is fed by three reservoirs, Emigrant, Hyatt and Howard Prairie Lakes. As of June 19, 2022, Emigrant (41%), Howard Prairie (14%) and Hyatt Lakes were dismally low due to previous drought years.

This year with significantly higher levels of precipitation, Emigrant Lake recently reached 74%, with Hyatt Lake reaching 58% and Howard Prairie Lake 50% respectively, according to “tea cup” water level readings as of Monday.

The district office anticipates providing water deliveries for at least 90 days, and potentially longer, according to TID officials, which is roughly three times what they offered for the season last summer.

“If we all work together cooperatively, we can make this the best season we have had in a couple of years,” read the news release.