city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Echo, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (78th percentile) and lowest in fall (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cherries (nearest 0.3 mi SW); corn (nearest 0.2 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Echo?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Echo, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on Apr 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers, mint, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 301 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Cherries: about 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms late Mar – early Apr
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Echo
Mostly: Fallow / idle cropland; Alfalfa; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 84% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Echo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 82nd | 80th | 48th |
| Oregon | 78th | 74th | 78th | 34th |
| Columbia Plateau | 90th | 93rd | 84th | 15th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Echo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Stanfield 3 mi · Hermiston 7 mi · Umatilla 14 mi · Irrigon 18 mi · Pendleton 19 mi · Green Meadows 21 mi
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Echo (45.7467, -119.1935); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.