Drought

Drought in Minnesota has killed even the larger, mature trees that are 5 to 6 feet tall. Normally the bigger trees can withstand drought, but one Christmas tree farm owner in Woodbury lost more than two dozen mature trees amid the state’s intense drought, and other trees did not grow well. The tree farm owner stated that he was still paying for last year’s drought. KSTP-TV ABC 5 Minneapolis/St. Paul (Minn.), Nov 13, 2022

Worcester remained in a Stage 1 drought as the water stored in the city’s reservoir was significantly below the 24-year average for this time of year, according to the acting city manager, despite good rainfall in September. Reservoir capacity on Nov. 1 was 60.5%, compared to the 24-year average of 77.2%. The water supply was slightly above the trigger for a Stage 1 drought in early November, year-to-date rainfall amounts were still below average and forecasts for the coming months are uncertain. As a result, the city is still in a Stage 1 drought. MassLive (Springfield, Mass.),Nov 14, 2022 Water restrictions remained in effect for Worcester until the end of October as water levels fell in the city’s ten reservoirs, which held 62.4% of capacity on Oct. 9. Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Mass.), Oct 13, 2022 Worcester entered a Stage 1 drought on Aug. 22 as reservoirs neared 72% capacity. Irrigation systems may not be used between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The public is encouraged to conserve by not letting water run in kitchens and bathroom sinks. Other parts of Worcester County have adopted restrictions to conserve water amid the drought. Telegram (Worcester, Mass.), Aug, 22, 2022

Recent rains have caused the Mississippi River to rise with the water level cresting about 11 feet on Nov. 11. The Missouri Drought Assessment Committee met and voted to recommend forming a Commercial Navigation Impact team as the Mississippi River is a critical link for the entire U.S. KFVS12 (Cape Girardeau, Mo.), Nov 11, 2022

Siskiyou County ranchers are being fined $4,000 for pumping water from the Shasta River in August. The proposed fine is $500 per day for eight days of pumping for a rural water association that serves about 80 farmers and ranchers and comes to about $50 per rancher. CalMatters (Sacramento, Calif.), Nov 7, 2022

Many homeowners in the Siouxland area were experiencing problems with their foundations due to the ongoing drought, which has caused the soil to shrink and shift. Cracks may form, or doors and windows can become difficult to close. Siouxland Matters (Sioux City, Iowa), Nov 9, 2022

Peabody’s reservoirs were too low to use so both water treatment plants have been offline for about two weeks. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority was providing some water for the town as it did during the summer. Water was not flowing into Peabody’s reservoirs; they were only replenished with rain and water pumped in from the Ipswich River, which has been at record lows this year. Salem News (Mass.), Nov 10, 2022

Crops in Dickinson County yielded half or less, like so many across the state. The wheat crop and hay crops yielded half, and the fall crops milo, corn and soybeans yielded less than half due to meager rainfall during the summer and fall. Abilene Reflector-Chronicle (Kan.), Nov 3, 2022

Residents of Evansville have noticed an unpleasant aroma within the city limits this week. Officials with Evansville Water and Sewer Utility claim that more rain is needed to flush materials through the sewer system, which should alleviate the smell. WEHT-TV News 25 ABC (Evansville, Ind.), Nov 10, 2022

As drought conditions cover nearly all of Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear would like the public to temporarily stop outdoor burning. Wildfires have become a problem with 52 fires actively burning, and 20 of the blazes are not yet contained. In Estill County, two large fires have burned nearly 1,000 acres. A LaRue County fire has consumed about 100 acres. Since Oct. 1, more than 15,000 acres have burned in Kentucky. WLKY.com Louisville Channel (Ky.), Nov 10, 2022

Ipswich has a water ban as town reservoirs were still below 50% of capacity. Bans were also in effect in Danvers, Hamilton and Wenham. Essex and Gloucester lifted their water bans in recent weeks. Salem News (Mass.), Nov 10, 2022

Since Oct. 1, more than 15,000 acres have burned in Kentucky as drought expanded to cover most of the state. WLKY.com Louisville Channel (Ky.), Nov 10, 2022

The Kingston Stage II drought emergency has been in effect since early August and was lifted on Nov. 9. The town was in a drought alert as the level of Cooper Lake was low, necessitating voluntary water conservation. The water level at Cooper Lake was lowered 10 feet for dam construction, which unfortunately coincided with drought and extreme heat. Daily Freeman (Kingstown, N.Y.), Nov 9, 2022 As the level of Cooper Lake continued to fall, the Kingston Board of Water Commissioners on Aug. 10 voted to declare Stage II of the current drought emergency. On top of previous restrictions, it was prohibited to use city water to fill for maintain water levels in swimming pools and water lawns and golf courses. Despite declaring a water emergency last week, water use has not fallen. Cooper Lake has been 10 feet low since July 2021 to allow mandated construction work on the dam and cannot be refilled until the work on the dam is completed. Daily Freeman (N.Y.), Aug 11, 2022 The Board of Water Commissioners declared a drought emergency for Kingston, based on the water level of Cooper Lake reservoir. The first stage of mandatory water usage restrictions took effect immediately as just a few months’ worth of water remained in the reservoir. Water supplies to Ulster will end, and temporary pipes are being connected to tap into NYC’s Ashokan Reservoir. Daily Freeman (Kingston, N.Y.), Aug 2, 2022

A state of emergency was declared for Klamath County on Nov. 8 as drought caused more than 100 domestic wells to run dry. Klamath Falls Herald and News (Ore.), Nov 8, 2022

Drought in Oklahoma significantly affected forage quality and quantity this year with many producers baling failed crops and other grass varieties not usually harvested as forage. Consequently, overall hay quality is lower. “During the last drought, there was a lot of hay baled very mature along roadsides and abandoned fields with the lowest density setting the baler could handle to produce light, low-density bales then transported across two states. Hay should be tested before purchase and priced per ton instead of by the bale,” according to an Oklahoma State University Extension beef nutrition specialist. A laboratory test is a critical step in determining the nutritive value of any lot of hay offered for sale. Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Okla.), Nov 7, 2022

Intensifying drought and strong winds have led to high fire activity in Nebraska, setting the state up to possibly see the second worst year on record for wildfires. Without more moisture this fall and winter, the fires are likely to continue into 2023. About 200,000 acres of grasslands, croplands and forests have burned so far, compared with about 502,000 acres in 2012, another year of intense drought. Nebraska Examiner (Lincoln), Nov 7, 2022

The summer of drought in Massachusetts left a small crop of stunted, shriveled berries and wild grapes to sustain wildlife over the winter. Birdfeeders may be very popular with birds and a great place for watching them as they will need supplemental food to get through the winter. The Recorder (Greenfield, Mass.), Nov 6, 2022

October runoff in the upper Missouri River Basin was just 73% of average, while the annual runoff is forecast to be 76% of average. Hydropower generation at the six mainstem power plants produced 689 million kWh of electricity in October, which is far less than the average of 817 million kWh for October. Siouxland Matters (Sioux City, Iowa), Nov 4, 2022

Releases from Gavins Point Dam on the South Dakota/Nebraska border will be reduced from 30,000 cubic feet per second to the winter rate of 12,000 cfs through November. Siouxland Matters (Sioux City, Iowa), Nov 4, 2022

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will not issue permits for open burning of brush or yard waste due to the elevated wildfire risk from drought. Counties affected by this burn ban include Becker, Beltrami, Clay, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Pope, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin. Grand Forks Herald (N.D.), Nov 2, 2022

The drinking water of Plaquemines Parish is contaminated with saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico. Those with high blood pressure or heart health issues are warned not to drink it. Bottled water is available for those who need some. CNN (Atlanta, Ga.), Nov 3, 2022 Plaquemines Parish declared a state of emergency. The salt water has compromised two of the parish’s water treatment plants and is jeopardizing the third, so desalination units were being brought in to remove salt from the water. An underwater levee is also under construction to keep the wedge from moving further upstream. National Public Radio (Washington, D.C.), Oct 27, 2022