HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Glenn County BOS regarding Governor Brown's Emergency Proclamation concerning the droughtGLENN COUNTY John K. Viegas, District 1
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS stelges ern, Districr3
Willows Memorial Hall, 2°d Floor Michael Murray, District 4
525 West Sycamore Street, Suite Bi Leigh W. McDaniel, District 5
Willows, CA 95988
January 22, 2014
The Honorable Jerry Brown 90~~iD~&UPERdI>30RS
Governor of the State of California ~N 2 7 2014.
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Brown,
The County of Glenn has received your Emergency Proclamation due to the current drought
conditions in the State of California. The conditions and concerns in your outline justifying the
Proclamation are identical to those we have in the County of Glenn.
As Chair of the Glenn County Board of Supervisors, I too, am declaring the .County of Glenn in a
State of Emergency due to drought and a natural disaster area for consideration regarding any and all
State and Federal relief assistance.
Our county's economic engine is driven by agriculture, the home of over 1000 farms and ranches with
over 489,000 acres in cultivation. Our major commodities are rice, almonds, dairies, walnuts, corn,
and wheat. We have been called the "Olive Oil Capital" of California's new burgeoning olive oil
industry and have a myriad of other important permanent crops including citrus, grapes, pistachios,
and prunes.
Our groundwater tables are dropping. The Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District has been restricted from
water diversions under the State Water Resources Control Board Term 91 provisions. Many water
districts of the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority are out of water for the 2013 irrigation season ending
February 28th and we have been warned the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation expects to announce a
zero water allotment for the 2014 season beginning March 1.
This crisis situation puts all of our residents and our economy at extreme risk. Our cities and rural
residents rely on groundwater. Our farms and ranches that depend on surface water will turn to
groundwater. Some will go dry. Our aquifers will be stressed to their limits. We have engaged all of
our resources, limited as they are, to meet this challenge.
The County of Glenn wants to be part of the solution to solve our State water issues. We ask for your
assistance to help us and offer our assistance to help you.
Sincerely,
GLE COUN Y D OF SUPERVISORS
E UR ha' an
cc: Representativ Do La Malfa Representative John Garamendi Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Barb oxer Senator Jim Nielsen Assemblyman Dan Logue
National Association of Counties Califomia State Association of Counties Rural County Representatives of Califomia
Department of Water Re urces State Water Resources Control Board
Counties,of Northern ramento Valley Irrigated Regional Water Management -Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Colusa and Sutter
/~ O fic < 0) 93 -6 00 *~ax (530) 934-6419 * e-mail: gcboardecountpof~lenn.net * website: www.countKoff3lenn.net