Gov. Kate Brown declared drought emergencies in eight additional counties around Oregon Friday, bringing the total this year to 15.
She also released a public service announcement launching the hashtag #ORdrought.
“It may look green now, but we are going to experience one of the worst droughts in the history of our state," said Brown in a statement. "Snow pack is at historic lows and severe water shortages are nearly a certainty in many areas.”
Brown added that it’s likely to be a difficult fire season.
The new drought-effected counties are Deschutes, Grant, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Morrow, Umatilla, and Wasco.
With these eight, Oregon has almost doubled the number of drought declarations made last year.
The drought means water shortages for farming and ranching operations, as well as low river and stream levels.
Recreational areas around Oregon are open for business this Memorial Day weekend, but long-term forecasts continue to call for temperatures well above normal.
Copyright 2015 Oregon Public Broadcasting
