LAKEPORT, Calif. – Faced with continuing drought conditions, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to continue a local emergency.

The board voted 4-0 to approve extending the emergency drought proclamation, with Supervisor Jim Comstock being absent from the meeting.

It's the 15th time the emergency declaration has been extended by the board since it was first passed in March 2014.

According to state law, the board must review the status of the emergency every 30 days.

Lake County Emergency Services Manager Marisa Chilafoe appeared before the board to request the proclamation's continuance.

In her written report to the board, Chilafoe explained, “The severity of this year’s drought became apparent as our community water systems, private wells and natural resources struggled to maintain adequate water supply, was complicated by the extreme effects of the lake’s algae, the County saw impacts to local agriculture and has brought about extreme fire danger county-wide.”

Her report explained that Lake County remains one of 55 California counties to be declared a primary natural disaster area due to drought damages and losses by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

She said that declaration makes all qualified farm operators eligible for low interest emergency loans from the USDA's Farm Service Agency.

Chilafoe's written report also explained that continuing the proclamation assists the county in seeking funding specifically for drought relief purposes.

“We're still working with our impacted systems to ensure continuity and grant funding solutions for the many different types of drought problems that we're seeing here in Lake County,” Chilafoe told the board on Tuesday.

She said the county is working with the Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District, which had its junior water rights curtailed under a state compliance order.

“They had a great supply of water but they lost the rights to use it,” she said. “We've been working with them to find a solution. They have no other sources of water.”

Chilafoe added that a solution may be close, which would allow the moratorium on development in Hidden Valley Lake to be lifted.

The county also is working with the Konocti County Water District in Clearlake to find a “patchwork of funding solutions” to cover the cost of their intake structure pump house and other improvements to ensure that the district has safe drinking water for the community it serves, Chilafoe said.

In addition, the county is assisting the Clearlake Oaks County Water District in finding funding for its infrastructure issues, according to Chilafoe.

Other efforts include continuing the drought task force first convened last summer to coordinate the county's efforts. Chilafoe said they also will support support anyone who comes forward with a dry well or other problems.

Supervisor Jim Steele asked about the criteria for no longer having an emergency in place, noting that there are indications that there may be a full rain year coming up.

“What's going to be your signal that we don't have a drought emergency?” he asked.

Chilafoe said that would hinge on a number of things, from resolving water rights issues to finding appropriate funding to address the needs of local systems.

“We're looking at about five systems right now that have a number of problems,” she said, noting that the county is looking not just at prevention of drought-related issues but also response.

Once those issues have been addressed, and depending on rainfall and weather projections, the county will reevaluate, Chilafoe said.

Board Chair Anthony Farrington said that, looking at the totality of circumstances, even if there is a wet year ahead, “We're playing catch up” for multiple dry years.

Chilafoe said that last year's snowpack was 27 percent of normal. She said it was estimated that the state needing 150 percent of normal to overcome drought conditions at that point.

Based on the current projections for an upcoming wet year, Chilafoe said it's anticipated that California would need two good years of rain to fully recharge its water supply.

“It's a continual evaluation,” she said.

The board then voted to continue the emergency proclamation.

Following the meeting, Chilafoe told Lake County News that the five districts she referenced during the meeting as having drought-related issues or projects under way are Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District and Konocti County Water District, with Lake County Special Districts in the midst of projects in its Paradise Valley, Mt. Hannah and Spring Valley systems.

“There are a few others but these have been our main focus,” she said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.