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WATER Jackson County declares drought disaster Low snowpack will spell trouble this summer Comment By Vickie Aldous For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Vickie Aldous For the Tidings Posted May. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated May 14, 2015 at 6:49 PM By Vickie Aldous For the Tidings Posted May. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated May 14, 2015 at 6:49 PM » Social News The Jackson County Board of Commissioners has declared a local disaster because of drought conditions. Commissioners also voted unanimously Wednesday to ask Gov. Kate Brown to declare a drought emergency for all of Jackson County due to severe and continuing drought conditions. Commissioner Colleen Roberts said rain this week isn't enough to ease drought problems. "Even though we have welcome rain this week, the snowpack gives us concern," she said. A drought declaration for Jackson County allows for emergency water-use permits, temporary transfers of water rights, preferred use of water rights for human consumption and other steps, according to Jackson County officials. "We obviously can't create water in a drought, but we can try to help," said Larry Menteer, southwest region manager for the Oregon Water Resources Department. Although total precipitation — including rain and snow — for the water year is at 89 percent of average, snowpack in the Rogue Basin is just 13 percent of average, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics for the water year that ended April 28. Local irrigation districts rely on gradually melting snow to supply reservoirs through the summer irrigation season. As of this week, Emigrant Lake is 84 percent full because it captured February rainfall. Not enough rain fell farther east to help Howard Prairie Lake, which is 40 percent full, or Hyatt Lake, which stands at 42 percent full, according to Menteer and Bureau of Reclamation measurements. Northeast of Medford, Fourmile Lake is 52 percent full and Fish Lake is 61 percent full. Agate Lake is a bright spot at 94 percent full. Menteer and local irrigation district managers pointed to the Mt. Ashland Ski Area as a local entity helped by past drought declarations. The ski area was unable to open during the winter of 2013-2014 because of low snow. It secured a $750,000 Small Business Administration disaster loan to stay afloat. The ski area was able to get the low-interest loan because Jackson County borders California and the state had been declared a federal disaster area due to drought. This past winter, the ski area operated for 38 days because of lower snowfall than average. Ski Area General Manager Hiram Towle said the nonprofit ski area has no plans to seek another drought loan because it doesn't want to take on more debt. "We're actually pretty committed to not extending any more lines of credit and working to protect the money we have," Towle said. The ski area has proposed branching out with more summer activities to augment its unpredictable winter operations. Jackson County Administrator Danny Jordan said eight long-term snowpack monitoring sites in the Rogue Basin set new record lows, including four sites on Mount Ashland that have been measured continuously for more than 40 years. "Local water experts proclaim that this is the lowest snowpack of record in Jackson County," Jordan said. Low water supplies can shorten the growing season and hurt agricultural, vineyard and livestock producers. In the forests, low fuel moisture levels have prompted predictions of an early wildfire season, Jordan said. Talent Irrigation District Manager Jim Pendleton said water users likely will get 15 percent less water this season. Last year, TID stretched water supplies to the last week of September, a week shy of the normal end to the irrigation season, Pendleton said. Rogue River Valley Irrigation District Manager Brian Hampson said the drought likely will cause an early end to the RRVID's irrigation season, as it did last year. "We're not in the best of shape. We had to shut off on Sept. 9 last year," he said. "This year, I don't think we'll make it that long. We're hoping to make it to late August or early September." Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Vickie Aldous For the Tidings Posted May. 14, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated May 14, 2015 at 6:49 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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