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n~l'l~e:l UUvu,,,' .... CHRONOLOGY OF THE 1976-77 DROUGHT 61 articles contained statements that some indi- viduals hauled water. Municipal supplies obtained from streams in Idaho were affected by the low flows~ome as early as May. By early July about 25 towns anticipated problems, and some of them had developed contingency plans, Seven towns still needed technical assistance to plan for new sources of water. Specific hours for watering were esta- blished to reduce water used for lawns and gardens in a number of towns, Stock ponds, water holes, and some springs went dry early in the summer forcing ranchers to haul water for livestock and to reduce herds to numbers that were compatible with the water and feed available, Nyssa, on the eastern border of Oregon, began a mandatory water-rationing program on May 2, 1977. Well-drilling activities increased signifi- cantly, particularly east of the Cascades, Ground-water withdrawals increased near Odessa, Wash" from the fall of 1976 to January 1977. Squilchuck State Park near Wenatchee, Wash" was closed in July 1977 when its spring-fed water supply was depleted, The State of Washington started a cloud seeding project on February 28, 1977, Early results were inconclusive and by late April the results could not be readily determined though some success was claimed for increasing the snowpack in the Cascades. The National Weather Service forecasts the times and elevations of the two high and two low stages in the Columbia River downstream from Bonneville Dam and in the Willamette River downstream from Oregon City when the stages are affected by the tides. Normally, the industries dependent upon water navigation need the forecasts only during the low-flow season each year, but in 1977 the forecasts had to be made almost all year long, Crop sales in 1977 in Oregon topped $1 bil- lion for the fourth year in a row and were 5 percent higher than in 1976 despite the drought, However, sales dropped in six coun- ties along the Columbia River primarily be- cause of poor dryland wheat and pea prodUC- tion. The governors of Idaho, Oregon, and Wash- ington convened special task forces to coordi- nate activities related to the drought and to keep the public informed. Disaster designation was obtained by 49 counties in the region so that financial aid could be obtained, California-WRC Region 18 The California Region (fig. 23) is all of California except the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the strip that drains into the lower Colorado River, and includes that part of the Klamath River basin that is in Oregon, and a small part of southern Nevada. The more important features of the 1976- 77 drought are presented ahead of the detailed information. The drought in 1977 was more severe and more widespread than in either 1924 or 1976; and in much of the State, the drought in 1976 was worse than that in 1924, based on precipi- tation records. The Sierra snowpack in 1976 was the lowest on record at one-third of the snow courses, but it was even lower in 1977. The 2-year accumulated deficiencies in runoff were equivalent to the normal runoff for periods ranging from 1.1 to 2.0 years. 124" 1200 116" EXPLANA nON _ Region boundary 380 ,,0 340 oLosAngeleS ~alron 'VSea s:n.:'~__ o 100 200 KILOMETERS I I I o 100 MILES Figure 23. California-WRC Region 18.