This story was originally published on LincolnChronicle.org and is used with permission.
The city of Siletz declared emergency water restrictions Friday due to ongoing drought conditions and record low levels in the Siletz River where the municipality draws its water.
Siletz is the first city in Lincoln County to implement water restrictions and comes after county commissioners declared a drought emergency July 2 followed by a July 10 executive order by Gov. Tina Kotek officially designating a state drought emergency in Lincoln and Baker counties.
NOAA’s national drought monitor puts Lincoln County and 22 percent of Oregon in the “severe drought” category.
Siletz’ level three “emergency water curtailment” notice is the least restrictive use designated by the city. It limits households to 10,000 gallons of water per month and still allows for the hand watering of gardens, flowers and shrubs. Watering lawns, washing cars, driveways or sidewalks and filling pools is not allowed and violators face fines.
Siletz mayor Willie Worman said in the restriction notice posted on social media that the Siletz River is at a 130-year low.
The city of Toledo, which also draws water from the Siletz River and Mill Creek, has not implemented any water restrictions but is asking residents to conserve water based on the drought declaration.
Residents are asked to restrict irrigation to mornings and evening, minimize or avoid washing cars, boats, pavement, decks, fences and buildings, cut back lawn watering to once a week, delay draining and filling pools and hot tubs, run dishwashers with full loads only and minimize shower time.
The Georgia Pacific mill in Toledo, which primarily draws water from the Siletz River and Mill Creek, stopped pumping water from the Siletz the weekend of July 12-13, according to a response on social media by GP public information officer Andrea Formo. The mill has an agreement to buy water from the city of Toledo, however, which Formo said it may seek to use in the coming month – “but it is still at the discretion of the city (Toledo) as the contract prioritizes residents.”
The Seal Rock Water District, which draws water from Beaver Creek and is the largest water district in the county with 5,500 customers, has also sent notices to its customers asking them to conserve water and providing tips and guidance for water conservation.
Rainfall on the central Oregon coast was one-third its normal in June and there has been only a few hundredths of an inch so far in July, which is typically one of the three driest months of the year at a time when the large number of visitors raises the amount of water consumed.
- Garret Jaros covers the communities of Yachats, Waldport, south Lincoln County and natural resources issues for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at GJaros@YachatsNews.com