Standing nearby Brown as she signed the order were County Commissioners Donnie Boyd, Kelley Minty Morris and Derrick DeGroot, as well as state Rep. E. Werner Reschke, R-Klamath Falls, state Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls, Klamath Tribes Chairman Don Gentry, Klamath Falls City Mayor Carol Westfall and Klamath County DA Eve Costello. The in-person signing made good on a commitment she made to Boyd and Klamath Water Users Association Executive Director Scott White last month.

“I came down here as a legislator in 2001 for the Bucket Brigade,” Brown said during a press conference following the signing.

“What I heard from the community today is they want a peaceful resolution, and I think by declaring the emergency drought resolution this early, we can get as many tools on the ground earlier – I think that’s a good thing.”

Brown is directing state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region, and said continuing to work with federal partners on assistance is “critical.”

Federal assistance

She recently met with Ryan Zinke, secretary of the Interior and has also met with the Bureau of Reclamation’s Alan Mikkelsen, Zinke’s senior adviser on water in the West.

“He (Zinke) has told me he has put his best man on the ground and we’re going to continue to request federal assistance and I think it should be delivered soon,” Brown said.

Mikkelsen, whom Brown quipped about making an “honorary Oregonian,” is in the Klamath Basin this week to meet with both the Tribes and irrigators on ongoing water issues.

“We will make every single tool in our toolbox available help this community, your businesses, and of course your families,” Brown said, noting she brought many members of her cabinet along on the trip to answer questions.

Brown also discussed wanting to see a long-term solution to water issues in the Basin, and that those locally share that goal.

Seeking solutions

“This community desperately wants to solve this problem, it’s been obviously ongoing and long-term,” Brown said. “We need both a short-term solution to get through this year, but we need a longer term comprehensive solution.”

“I know the year is going to be challenging but I absolutely believe that by working together, we can weather this storm. It’s certainly part of the Oregon tradition to work together, to tackle our differences, and create a better state for our families ….”

In other meetings in the Basin on Tuesday, Brown said she planned to meet with Oregon Tech President Nagi Naganathan, Klamath Community College President Roberto Gutierrez and well as Reschke and Linthicum about education coordinating and trying “to close the gap between the workforce we have and the workforce that we need.”

“It’s a quick trip, but I will be back down because I’m doing a commencement address,” Brown said, referencing Oregon Tech’s ceremony in June.

Klamath Tribes’ focus

Gentry, who stood nearby Brown at the meeting, told the governor during the stakeholder meeting that the Tribes are focused on doing everything they can to protect fish in the coming year.

“With the drought declaration, there’s some provisions that would help address needs for domestic (water) use,” Gentry said. “Obviously, with the drought and the Tribes keeping water in-stream, there’s some conflicts there.

“We’re just expecting the federal and state agencies to do what they need to be doing to protect our fish.”

Gentry plans to meet with Mikkelsen this week about the 60-day notice to file litigation the Tribes issued Feb. 9, as well as the water year.

“We’re going to continue engaging at all of the levels that we need to, to make sure our interests and the fish are protected,” Gentry said.

Irrigator impact

On-Project irrigator Luke Robison, who watched the drought declaration signed, sees the action as a positive impact on local irrigators who can now apply for a drought permit, which allows irrigators to transfer water where and when needed.

“It’s one of the tools that we’ll have to use to help pick up the pieces,” Robison said, adding that the governor’s approval of the drought declaration “is one of the first steps” needed in response to the drought.

Robison, wearing a suit jacket and collared shirt on Tuesday, said normally he should be in work clothes with a tractor in the field or working on some machinery in the shop.

“I should have a full crew working right now,” Robison said.

With dry conditions, despite a rainy Tuesday, that is not the case this year for Robison. He said he would like to plant 150 acres this year, but he said it’s not “concrete” yet because of the drought.

“My ability and my contract is there to do that, but right now I’m just like every farmer on the Project. I don’t know what my water supply is yet to grow my crop,” Robison said.

“We need action so we can get water. We need allocation so we can get our start date. And then we need the tools to make up those deficiencies.”

The Bureau of Reclamation is hosting a meeting in the next couple weeks on the upcoming Klamath Project irrigation season, though there is no guaranteed start date or water allocation amount determined at this time.