Gov. Brown declares drought emergency in two counties

Gov. Kate Brown today declared a drought emergency in Lake and Malheur counties.

Dry conditions, low snowpack and a lack of rain are posing problems for the entire southeast corner of the state.

Harney, Klamath and Crook counties also are considering drought declarations, said Racquel Rancier, spokeswoman for the Oregon Water Resources Department.

The governor's drought declaration will allow increased flexibility in how water is managed and positions farmers and ranchers in those counties for federal aid.

"Projected forecasts for Malheur and Lake counties look bleak, meaning these rural communities will continue to experience severe drought conditions," Brown said. "In addition to creating an increased wildfire risk, this drought presents hardships to crops, agriculture, communities, recreation, and wildlife, all of which rely on Oregon's water resources."

Already this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture already has declared portions of 10 western and central states disaster areas because of drought. That includes all but one county in California and more than half of Nevada and Arizona.

No Oregon counties are among those, though the U.S. Drought Monitor puts 45 percent of Oregon in severe drought.

Last year, Gov. John Kitzhaber declared drought in four Oregon counties in by early February and nine counties by early June.

Gov. Brown is coordinating with Oregon's federal delegation, state agencies, local governments and other partners to address drought-related issues.

tloew@statesmanjournal.com, (503) 399-6779 or follow at Twitter.com/SJWatchdog