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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Gold Hill residents say city dawdled as streets flooded ... El Nino's effects remain uncertain for Southern Oregon ... Josephine County brothers die in single-car crash ... Gold Hill residents say city dawdled as streets flooded ... El Nino's effects remain uncertain for Southern Oregon ... Josephine County brothers die in single-car crash ... OTHER VIEWS Other Views: 'New normal' of drought may mean big changes Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The (Corvallis) Gazette-Times The sobering thing about Gov. Kate Brown's order to state agencies last week to step up efforts to conserve water wasn't so much the message itself — as drought strengthens its grip on Oregon, such a message from the governor was, if anything, overdue. No, the sobering thing about Brown's order on Tuesday was the sense that this is another sign of what the future may well look like for all of Oregon. In her executive order, Brown noted that the goal of the state efforts is to reduce water consumption by 15 percent or more on average across all state-owned facilities by the end of 2020. She also asked her state agencies to report their progress back to her by Nov. 1 of this year and annually thereafter. "Water is the foundation for our economies, communities, ecosystems and quality of life," Brown said in her order. "State government's efforts to address climate change must include reduced consumption and other conservation measures as water shortages become the new normal. That phrase — "the new normal" — caught us up short, but it's worth thinking about in some detail. "The new normal" in Southern Oregon is drought, as that region copes with its fourth straight year of drought. It's the same story in Eastern Oregon. This new normal has been in place in California for years. Living in the relatively lush Willamette Valley has shielded us from having to think too hard about the drought that has affected our neighbors to the south and east. But it looks as if the shields might be coming down, even in this neck of the woods, where we've long been able to find adequate water for all our needs. When the snowpack in the Cascades that feeds water to our crops and keeps water in our streams runs empty, when our forests dry into so much tinder so much earlier than usual, when every fire season seems to be hotter and bigger than the one before — these all are signals that a "new normal" may be settling in, even here. Brown's order also directed state agencies to update the state's overall planning for drought, including potential new tools to help communities deal with the impacts of water shortages. And, indeed, this is an area in which the state could help communities with new approaches. It's also an area in which Brown — who is widely expected to run for governor in 2016 — could reach out to rural Oregon, where voters still are taking the measure of the new governor. But it would be a mistake to view this issue solely through a political prism, although water is at the core of so many political issues in the West. Water, of course, runs deeper than that. As Brown herself noted in her order, it's the foundation for our quality of life. We've been fortunate here to be able to count on a ready supply of water. Now, it looks as if the foundation is shifting underneath us. Such a fundamental shift requires more than just hoping that the drought finally will break next year. It requires serious thought — and, more than likely, some serious change. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM » 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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