More help is on the way to farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin.
The Agriculture Department has designated Klamath County as a “primary natural disaster area” because of drought conditions.
The offices of Senators Wyden and Merkley made the announcement this morning.
It means that farmers and ranchers in the area will be eligible for low interest emergency loans. It also extends disaster assistance to farmers and ranchers in Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Lake, and Lane counties in Oregon as well as Modoc and Siskiyou counties in California.
Because of the drought, the feds say irrigators can only expect about 30% – 40% of the amount of water they normally receive from Klamath basin reservoirs this year. Local water authorities will be able to pump extra water from underground sources, but that still only brings the supply to about 50% of normal. Farmers will also be paid for idling land.
