Governor declares drought emergency in California

(CP) - Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a statewide emergency because of drought, directing state officials to help farmers and giving them more flexibility in managing water supply.

As part of the declaration issued Jan. 17, the governor ordered agencies to use less water, hire more firefighters and expand a water-conservation public awareness campaign, according to his office.

“We can’t make it rain, but we can be much better prepared for the terrible consequences that California’s drought now threatens, including dramatically less water for our farms and communities and increased fires in both urban and rural areas,” Brown said in prepared remarks.

The move comes amid what some state officials are calling the worst drought in nearly four decades. The Department of Water Resources’ first snowpack reading earlier this month found the water content at about 20 percent of average for this time of year. Further, California’s river and reservoir levels are at historic lows, state officials note in a news release.

The declaration won immediate praise from the California Farm Bureau Federation, whose leaders urged the federal government to follow suit and provide flexibility in regulations that could hinder water transfers.

The drought also renews momentum for a state water bond, which is set for the ballot this year after having been postponed twice, CFBF second vice president Jamie Johansson said. The bond needs at least $3 billion for storage, which the Farm Bureau has been advocating since the last severe drought in 2009, he said.