According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, two-thirds of Jackson County is classified as abnormally dry, with the rest of the county in the first stage of drought.
County Administrator Danny Jordan said conditions are expected to worsen as summer nears.
“Many municipal water systems, farmers, ranchers and vineyards solely depend on natural water sources that are not supplemented by reservoir storage," Jordan said during a meeting Wednesday of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. "These natural tributaries to the Rogue and Applegate rivers are in extreme jeopardy of drying up as they rely on the annual snowpack."
Snowpack levels are a key concern. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show snow levels in the region at about 8% of the 30-year average. Across Oregon and California, snowpack levels are well below normal, limiting water available in the coming months.
Jordan said reservoir allocations are also expected to be low. In a typical year, about 6,000 acre-feet of water is diverted from Fourmile Lake in Klamath County to the Rogue Valley. This year, he said, the region may receive about half that amount.
“Hopefully, we don't see that widespread, substantial economic damage come to fruition," Commissioner Rick Dyer said. "This move can give them some resources and tools to help mitigate it, if necessary.”
Along with the local declaration, they are also asking Gov. Tina Kotek to issue a state emergency declaration, which would provide additional tools for water managers, including emergency permits and water transfers.
Kotek has already declared drought emergencies in Baker, Deschutes and Umatilla Counties, which have been in drought conditions for almost a year. Jefferson and Wallowa counties also declared droughts in mid-March, but the state has not yet issued declarations for those areas.
Jackson County last declared a drought emergency in 2023. Oregon experienced its worst drought of the century from 2020 to 2023.
