Politics & Government
California Governor Declares Drought State Of Emergency
Brown called for a collaborative effort to restrain water use, urging Californians to conserve in every way possible.
Written by Tarryn Mento/KPBS
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency Friday morning amid one of California's driest winters on record.
"We are in a unprecedented, very serious situation, and people should pause and reflect on how dependent we are on the rain, on nature and one another," he told a room full of reporters in San Francisco.
Brown called for a collaborative effort to restrain water use, urging Californians to conserve in every way possible.
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency Friday morning amid one of California's driest winters on record.
"We are in a unprecedented, very serious situation, and people should pause and reflect on how dependent we are on the rain, on nature and one another," he told a room full of reporters in San Francisco.
Brown called for a collaborative effort to restrain water use, urging Californians to conserve in every way possible.
"I'm also setting in motion easier water transfers so a farmer who really needs water — who's willing to pay for it — can get it from another farmer who doesn't necessarily need it," he said.
Under the declaration, state water officials have more flexibility to manage California's water supply amid drought conditions, a statement from his office said.
Just Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture named 27 California counties primary natural disaster areas due to recent drought.
Find out what's happening in Aliso Viejowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Will you be making any changes to help conserve water? Share your thoughts and tips with us in the comments section below.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
