The Drought Is Over, Right?
Not in These 4 Counties.
Gov.
Jerry Brown recently lifted his emergency drought declaration for all of California except four counties: Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Tuolumne.
He says communities and water systems in these four counties were among the hardest-hit by the drought, and when wells went dry and people were left without water, the emergency declaration made possible state funding for relief efforts.
“We couldn’t do it without the state,” he says.
Since the emergency was announced in 2014, Coyne says, Tulare County has received more than $170 million in state and federal funds for ongoing relief projects.
Some are short-term measures like mobile showers, water tanks placed in people’s front yards and well deepening.
Others are permanent fixes.
He expects that will take another year or two.