SENECA – For ranchers, the signs of drought in Grant County are clear.

“The Silvies River is not running. It’s just a series of puddles,” said Jack Southworth, a rancher in the Seneca area.

But Southworth, whose seen a lot of dry years, knows it could be even worse.

“We were just two timely rains – last spring – away from a disaster,” he said. “If we hadn’t had those rains in May and June, we’d be in a real wreck.”

Even so, ranchers still face challenges as the range continues to parch, leaving livestock with increasingly dry, unpalatable grass and forage.

“The range is in pretty sad shape,” said Gary Delaney, OSU Extension livestock agent. “We had such an early hot spell this year. Now there’s a lot of the county that’s really hurting.”

Amid such concerns, the Grant County Court last week approved a resolution declaring a drought disaster in the county.

The resolution noted that there has been substantially less rainfall than normal in Grant County this year. It seeks a state of emergency designation because of the county’s reliance on agriculture as an important economic sector, and because the continuing dry conditions are dramatically increasing wildfire intensity and risk.

County Judge Mark Webb said one intent of the court action is to help area ranchers qualify for assistance and special accommodations allowed by state law during severe droughts.

Malheur and Harney counties took similar action earlier in August.

All three counties – and most of the rest of Eastern Oregon – are experiencing severe drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The Drought Monitor’s map for Oregon shows the eastern half of Grant County in “severe drought.” Most of the western half is listed as “moderate drought,” and a small portion at the northwest of the county is shown as “abnormally dry.”

Drought emergency declarations can decrease the red tape for water users, including municipalities and landowners who irrigate. Farmers and ranchers also may qualify for low-interest federal loans to cope with costs associated with the drought.

Drought emergencies are considered by the Oregon Drought Council, which meets in Salem and recommends approval to Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The governor can declare the emergency, either statewide or in individual counties.

If approved by the state, the drought declaration would direct the Oregon Department of Agriculture to facilitate federal assistance for agricultural operations, and also direct the Oregon Water Resources Department, Oregon Emergency Management and other state agencies to coordinate resources to help the affected area.

Southworth said some ranchers will be glad to get some help.

“Most of us will get through this,” he said. At issue will be whether they can “just hold it together” or they end up with substantial losses.

A drought brings extra expense because the forage loses nutritional value early.

“Cows need a source of protein now to stay productive, and to keep the calves growing,” said Delaney.

However, he said, the problem now is twofold: there isn’t as much grass out there as usual, and the grass that’s there is “just filler.”

That means many ranchers have already started to supplement with hay or protein feed, and that is expensive, he said.

Overall, ranchers may find that their herds simply aren’t thriving.

“The cattle aren’t doing as well as they usually do at this time,” Southworth said.