April 1, 2021 3:40 a.m.

On Wednesday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed an executive order declaring a drought emergency in Klamath County, and directing state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region.

This is the first drought declaration in the state this year.

Brown said, “The Klamath Basin faces one of the most difficult water years in recent memory”. She said that moving forward officials must look toward long-tern 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”. Brown said after last year’s wildfire season, officials are closely monitoring drought conditions in the Klamath Basin and statewide.

A release said as of March 8th, the snow-water equivalent in Klamath County was 77 percent of a normal water year, and forecasted water conditions are not expected to improve. It said that drought, severe weather conditions, and the upcoming fire season pose significant threats to the local economy, agriculture and livestock, natural resources, and recreation in Klamath County.

A link to the executive order is posted: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OJmCMVDJhD-IMALLTFLOaBBZeAudlKc0/view