Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has officially declared a drought in Lincoln County. It’s the county’s fourth drought in seven years.
Lincoln County has been experiencing severe drought conditions since June 17, with lower than normal precipitation levels and high temperatures.
Kotek’s declaration allows water rights holders to make requests to the Oregon Water Resource Department for drought-related emergency tools like water use permits, expedited review processes, and water well repair and replacement.
Ken Lipp, a Lincoln County Public Information Officer, said the declaration serves as a public service announcement for Lincoln County residents, rather than a call to action.
“[The county] can’t do things like institute a curtailment, require people to use less water or not water their lawns,” he said. “This is an education tool to encourage people to take those measures voluntarily to be conscientious about how they use water.”
Lipp also noted that the drought is unlikely to impact most residents, as they get their water from an entity that has water rights, like the city or water district.
Lincoln County previously received drought declarations in 2018, 2021, and 2023. These previous declarations helped prepare swift responses and aid to the water rights holders.
“Our experience with previous drought declarations, which usually come later, led us to take action quicker,” said Lipp.
Conditions in Lincoln County will be monitored by the Oregon Water Resource Department and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.
Lincoln County encourages residents to visit the Mid-Coast Water Consortium website, midcoastwater.org, for more drought information and tips for saving water.
