California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Saturday declared a state of emergency in Kings County due to drought conditions.

The Kings County Board of Supervisors has asked for emergency status, citing low water tables, limited precipitation and reporting at least $1.2 million in crop damages due to drought conditions.

On May 9, Kings County received a drought designation from the United States Department of Agriculture.

"I am directing key state agencies to help provide immediate assistance to water agencies in Kings County under the state Natural Disaster Assistance Act to drill new water wells or modify existing wells as needed, and provide other assistance to local governments under the California Disaster Assistance Act," Mr. Schwarzenegger says.

The governor says the situation in Kings County shows "how precarious California's water infrastructure is."

And tougher times may be ahead, he says.

"The decreasing Sierra Nevada snow pack and declining conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, combined with our rising population, will make it increasingly more difficult to maintain adequate water supplies in California," the governor says.

Mr. Schwarzenegger called for further support for his water plan, which would push conservation and water-use efficiency measures, flood control, alng with "a new conveyance system and additional storage capacity -- both surface storage and groundwater."