Newsom declares drought emergency - but only for Sonoma and Mendocino counties FacebookTwitterEmail A depth gauge stands partially exposed at Briones Reservoir in Orinda on Feb. 28, 2021.Stephen Lam / The Chronicle SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a drought emergency for Sonoma and Mendocino counties, but resisted calls to issue a statewide proclamation — at least for now. Newsom’s emergency order primarily affects communities and water districts in the Russian River watershed, which includes the cities of Santa Rosa, Ukiah and Sebastopol. Some 360,000 people live in the area. The governor’s order gives the state Water Resources Control Board the power to curtail some users’ rights to divert water from the river, a measure designed to preserve supply for homes and other priority users. It is the first such declaration following two years of minimal rainfall that have dried out much of California.