St. Lawrence County has been designated as a natural disaster area by the federal government as a result of this summer's drought, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

St. Lawrence, along with nearby Jefferson, Lewis and Herkimer counties, have been added due to their reported crop losses, bringing the total number of counties in New York severely impacted by the extreme dry conditions to 51, Cuomo said.

The disaster declaration allows eligible farmers to access assistance, including emergency loans, from the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency.

Disaster declaration is based on reporting of crop loss to the federal Farm Service Agency and a D3 designation by the U.S. Drought Monitor. At the end of August, the federal government had declared 15 New York counties as primary natural disaster areas and an additional nine counties as contiguous disaster counties as a result of the drought conditions, Cuomo’s office said.

In August, State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball, state lawmakers and other farm leaders would be conducting on-site assessments of farms affected by the drought, while the state works closely with Cornell University expert hydrologists and climate professors to help understand and study the outlook for recovery, according to a news release from the governor.

"A strong agricultural industry is critical to this state's economy and this year's extended period of hot, dry weather has created significant challenges for New York farmers," Cuomo said in a prepared statement. "Stretching from the farthest corners of Western New York to the North Country and south to Long Island, our farms are seeing unprecedented crop damage. By designating counties as disaster areas, our producers will have access to the resources needed to recover and boost business again."