BAKER CITY, Ore. (AP) — Baker County commissioners have declared a drought and asked Gov. Ted Kulongoski and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to affirm it.

If Kulongoski and Veneman follow through, the county's farmers and ranchers would be eligible for payments to help compensate them for drought-related production deficiencies, said Mark Bennett, the county's emergency management director.

Mild spring temperatures have melted the mountain snowpack faster than normal. Phillips Reservoir is less than half full and losing about one percent of its storage each day to accommodate early-season irrigation demands.

The drought has led to pasture shortages, a shortened growing season, less water for Baker County producers and an increased fire risk, Bennett said.

Besides the anticipated financial aid to producers, the drought declaration speeds the permitting process for drilling new wells and gives producers more freedom to use existing wells, Watermaster Rick Lusk said.

This is the fifth year in a row that commissioners have declared a drought.