SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Governor Kate Brown officially declared a “drought emergency” in Klamath County.
Lack of precipitation and low snowpack prompted Brown to issue Executive Order 21-07, allowing state agencies to provide assistance to Klamath County in the first local drought declaration of 2021.
“The Klamath Basin faces one of the most difficult water years in recent memory,” Governor Brown said. “Moving forward, we must look for long-term solutions to the underlying issue in Klamath and many other Oregon counties: there is too little water to go around, and as the climate changes we are experiencing hotter, drier summers. After last year’s wildfire season, we are closely monitoring drought conditions in the Klamath Basin and statewide.”
The governor’s drought declaration reportedly unlocks a number of tools for water users and allows the Water Resources Department to expedite review processes and reduce fees.
The executive order expires at the end of 2021.
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