Klamath County commissioners are holding off on making a drought declaration in order to ensure their timing is appropriate to help irrigators this summer.
Though commissioners were expected to make the declaration Tuesday, Commissioner Donnie Boyd asked to have the issue removed from the agenda to be considered at a later date.
Boyd said he understands emergency policies regarding stock water may only last six months from the declaration of a drought, so he wanted to take time to ensure commissioners would not be taking action too early.
“I think we need to study the timing and be absolutely correct with our timing,” he said.
Commissioners began discussing a possible drought declaration last week in light of unseasonably warm and dry weather this winter.
Commissioners said they are hopeful for rain and snow sometime during February or March, but if conditions do not change they said irrigating restrictions could be as severe as in 2001.
A declaration of a drought by commissioners would be forwarded to the state Drought Readiness Council then the governor’s office for approval.
Once approved, the county would have access to special resources from the state and federal government.
As the county prepared for drought conditions, the Oregon Water Resources Department has begun meeting with irrigators in the Upper Klamath Basin to discuss how it plans to enforce water rights this year.
The first meeting was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday night at the Crater Lake Resort on Highway 62, while future meetings are scheduled for Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the Chiloquin Community Center and Friday at 10 a.m. at Sprague River Community Center.