Drought Declared In 4th Oregon County

On Thursday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced a drought emergency for Lake County due to low snowpack and precipitation, low streamflows, and warming temperatures.  That makes four counties in Oregon where drought emergencies have been declared ahead of the upcoming fire season.  The drought declaration allows increased flexibility in how water is managed to ensure limited supplies are used as efficiently as possible.

"Forecasts are predicting severe drought and wildfire conditions for much of Oregon," Governor Kate Brown said. "The conditions in Lake County are already concerning, and I'm directing state agencies to prioritize assistance in the area to help minimize the impacts drought conditions could have on the local economy."

Drought emergencies have also been declared in Klamath, Grant, and Harney Counties.​