Drought

Drought and inflation hurt Oahu’s Christmas tree farm, causing a rise in production and labor costs. Prices are 20% higher than in 2021. KITV-TV ABC 4 Honolulu (Hawaii), Nov 19, 2022

Montana cattle ranchers attested that fall and winter grazing was sparse, forcing at least one rancher to put part of his herd in a feedlot. Water availability was an issue in some areas with springs running dry. KRTV-TV 3 Great Falls (Mont.), Nov 21, 2022

With much of the western U.S. in drought, heavy water users in that part of the country are rethinking their cooling method. An average data center can use 300,000 gallons of water per day, and an estimated one in five data centers gets its water from stressed watersheds mostly in the West. CNBC (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.), Nov 15, 2022

The jaw of an American lion was discovered on Oct. 26 near Rosedale on a sandbar recently exposed by the Mississippi River. The teeth were black and belonged to a creature that went extinct 11,000 years ago, according to the National Park Service. The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Nov 14, 2022

From mid-September to mid-November, precipitation was 50% of normal or less across parts of the Great Plains and western Midwest, leaving the Platte River dry at Columbus, Nebraska where the riverbed was being used for off-roading. DTN – The Progressive Farmer (Burnsville, Minn.), Nov 17, 2022

High prices for diesel and fertilizer, in addition to drought, created financial challenges for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, who need to make money to cover costs. Hay cost about three times the average, making it very expensive to care for livestock. Drought conditions led to major crop and pasture losses. KOCO-TV ABC 5 Oklahoma City (Okla.), Nov 17, 2022

A group of 30 agencies that supply water to homes and businesses in the western United States has committed to getting rid of decorative grass to conserve water. The agreement did not specify the amount of water to be saved, but cities use about one-fifth of the water from the Colorado River. The Associated Press (New York), Nov 17, 2022

Fewer pecans were grown in Louisiana and other southern states, due to drought. A pecan shelling company in Monroe normally receives 2 million to 3 million pounds of pecans to process, but none have arrived yet, although Thanksgiving and Christmas are usually busy times for the company. Cold weather makes the nuts open up and fall, but the cold weather was late this year. Of the nuts that have been harvested, about half is being thrown away because lack of water kept the nuts from filling out. KNOE 8 (Monroe, La.), Nov 16, 2022

Cheyenne Bottoms is where thousands of hunters typically come to find a variety of ducks and waterfowl, but since drought has dried out the wetland, it has become a destination for pheasants and quail. Hunting season continues through January 31, 2023. KWCH 12 (Wichita, Kan.), Nov 16, 2022

The growing season was not ideal for pecan growers in Mississippi with drought and rain falling at a poor time. The dry conditions may reduce nut fill and return bloom next season, so next year’s crop may be smaller. The dry summer was helpful in controlling pecan scab, a troublesome disease for the state’s pecan trees. Drought also delayed the shuck splitting to release the nuts by about a month. This year’s crop is estimated at about 3 million pounds. Since many pecan tree varieties tend to bear more heavily in alternate years, the state’s production ranges from 2 million pounds to 8 or 9 million pounds. Irrigated trees were fine, but nonirrigated trees aborted nuts or did not have good nut fill. A late-spring freeze also caused orchards to lose a portion of their crop. AgFax (Brandon, Miss.), Nov 16, 2022

Drought in the Midwest has allowed water levels to drop in Smallin Civil War Cave in Ozark, Missouri, revealing a section of the cave that was previously underwater. The section was underwater during the 2012 drought and long ago provided shelter to Union soldiers during the Civil War and the Cherokee Nation during the Trail of Tears. St. Louis Public Radio (Mo.), Nov 14, 2022 Lower water levels in the Smallin Civil War Cave have exposed another 1,100 feet of passageway. KY3 (Springfield, Mo.), Oct 26, 2022

This Central California project aims to capture floodwaters that would otherwise rush out to sea or cause damage. The recharge system turns unused fields into large ponds to hold water so it can percolate into the porous rock and earth below. Reuters (New York), Nov 15, 2022

State and local fire officials asked Massachusetts lawmakers to provide more funding to help them battle persistent wildfires that can occur during droughts. Although wildfires used to be rare in the summer, more than 100 wildfires burned in August. Since the beginning of June, 450 wildfires burned 449 acres in the state, according to the chief fire warden for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. He attested to the landscape being brown in late July and resembling Arizona, at a time of year when things should have been lush green. WGBH (Boston, Mass.), Nov 15, 2022

A spate of brush and wildfires has affected southwest Pennsylvania after a dry summer. The Pinecroft Volunteer Fire Department's deputy chief stated that they have responded to four brush fires in the past five days. WJAC (Johnstown, Pa.), Nov 11, 2022

A Hastings Christmas tree grower warned that shoppers may find fewer trees to choose from as heat and drought wiped out about 33% of the trees planted this year and another 15% of the deciduous trees and evergreen trees. The sprinkler system has been in use for four months straight. An Aurora tree grower reported that this year was difficult compared and that trees were watered twice weekly with drip irrigation. Prices on this year’s trees have risen a bit. NTV (Axtell, Neb.), Nov 15, 2022

A bison rancher in eastern Colorado had to sell a significant portion of his herd, amounting to more than 300 animals, as drought gripped the area. The movement of bison created dense clouds of dust, obscuring the view. The ranch normally has about 250 buffalo cows, but that number was being reduced to 100. KDVR Online (Denver, Colo.), Nov 16, 2022

Arkansas firefighters were helping battle the many blazes that have scorched more than 15,000 acres in Kentucky since Oct. 1. People from Union, Clark, Dallas, Searcy, Stone and Faulkner counties headed to Kentucky on Nov. 10 and were to return on Nov. 15. The Forestry Division employees were deployed to Kentucky as part of the Southeastern Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact, which allows participating states to send wildland firefighters and resources across state lines to fight wildfires. El Dorado News-Times (Ark.), Nov 15, 2022

Since the beginning of June, 450 wildfires burned 449 acres in Massachusetts, according to the chief fire warden for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. He attested to the landscape being brown in late July and resembling Arizona, at a time of year when things should have been lush green. Although wildfires used to be rare in the summer, more than 100 wildfires burned in August. WGBH (Boston, Mass.), Nov 15, 2022 Ninety-seven wildfires have occurred in Massachusetts since the start of August, according to the Chief Forest Fire warden. WBUR-FM Boston Public Radio (Mass.), Aug. 23, 2022

Jay County has a ban on outdoor burning. WANE 15 (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Nov 14, 2022

Dry conditions allowed farmers to harvest their soybeans and corn a week and a half to two weeks ahead of schedule. Field fires have been a problem as the hot combine ignites dry vegetation. A Jay County field fire even spread into a forest. Soil moisture was low, as are water levels. WANE 15 (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Nov 14, 2022