KLAMATH FALLS — Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday declared a drought in southern Oregon's Klamath County.

The declaration allows state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region. Brown said in a news release the Klamath Basin faces one of the most difficult water years in recent memory.

"Moving forward, we must look for long-term solutions to the underlying issue in Klamath and many other Oregon counties: there is too little water to go around. After last year's wildfire season, we are closely monitoring drought conditions in the Klamath Basin and statewide." As of March 31, the snow-water equivalent in Klamath County was 81% of a normal water year, according to Natural Resources Conservation Service. Already dry soils heading into this winter will absorb more of that snow once it melts, causing streamflow forecasts to Upper Klamath Lake to be among the lowest in decades, The Herald and News reported. Read full story