By the Lincoln Chronicle
Lincoln and Baker counties couldn’t be more different.
Lincoln County is located on Oregon’s coast and Baker County is hundreds of miles away in the mountains of far northeast Oregon.
But on Friday they shared the same distinction – the first two counties in Oregon this summer to officially be declared by Gov. Tina Kotek that they are in a drought.
It is Lincoln County’s fourth official drought in seven years. Last year, Kotek issued four drought declarations – in Jefferson, Lake, Wallowa and Harney counties – between June and November.
While mostly symbolic, Kotek’s declaration allows water rights holders to make requests to the Oregon Water Resource Department for drought-related emergency tools like water use permits, expedited review processes, and water well repair and replacement.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Lincoln County has been experiencing moderate drought since May 27 and severe drought since June 17, the governor’s office said in a news release.
Drought metrics also indicate that drought conditions have been present in the county over the last three to six months. Additionally, below normal precipitation, above normal temperatures, streamflow, and soil moisture conditions further indicate persistent drought conditions in Lincoln County.
Fifty-one percent of Oregon is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and more than 17 percent of the state is in moderate drought.
While the coast gets feet of rain between November and February, rainfall this spring was much below average. And June’s rainfall – which is critical to good stream flows — was a third of normal, according to rain gauges on the coast.
The Oregon Water Resources Department said rainfall in January through June in Lincoln County is the 22nd driest in the past 131 years.
The Oregon Drought Readiness Council, which makes recommendations to the governor, reviews the status of water conditions in counties that request an emergency declaration, Curtis Peetz, response planner for the Oregon Department of Emergency Management told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday.
“It’s one thing to say there’s a drought in the community that’s visible,” Peetz said. “(The Drought Readiness Council) is really trying to understand: What are the impacts, and based on those impacts, why is it that the county needs that declaration for those emergency authorities that then the Oregon Water Resources Department can provide?”
Ken Lipp, Lincoln County’s public information officer, told KLCC News that the declaration serves as a public service announcement for Lincoln County residents, rather than a call to action.
“[The county] can’t do things like institute a curtailment, require people to use less water or not water their lawns,” he said. “This is an education tool to encourage people to take those measures voluntarily to be conscientious about how they use water.”
Lipp also noted that the drought is unlikely to impact most residents, as they get their water from an entity that has water rights, like the city or numerous water districts across the county.
Lincoln County previously received drought declarations in 2018, 2021, and 2023. These previous declarations helped prepare swift responses and aid to the water rights holders.
“Our experience with previous drought declarations, which usually come later, led us to take action quicker,” said Lipp.
The county is encouraging residents to visit the Mid-Coast Water Consortium website for more drought information and tips for saving water.
