Drought

Hungry coyotes in the El Dorado Valley of southern Nevada have taken to eating the endangered desert tortoise as other food sources, like rodents and rabbits, become scarce. Other animals eat tortoises, too. KVVU-TV FOX 5 Las Vegas (Nev.), Oct 31, 2022

The Wickiup Reservoir was essentially empty at the end of the 2021 season. At the end of March 2022, four area reservoirs were at record low levels for the start of the irrigation season with Wickiup at 55% full, Prineville Reservoir was 26% full and Ochoco Reservoir was 11% full. The North Unit Irrigation District allowed its patrons just 0.45 acre-feet, the lowest allocation farmers have had from the district. On Oct. 11, Wickiup was just 3% full, holding about 6,600 acre-feet of water, according to the Bureau of Reclamation website. The Bend Bulletin (Ore.), Oct 14, 2022

Dry conditions and low water forced the Minneapolis Water Taxi to make some adjustments to its route in the second half of its season. CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), Oct 30, 2022

Drought has lowered lake and river levels across Minnesota with most large rivers in the state at levels between 25% and 75% of normal for this time of year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A boat owner wondered where he could bring in his boat safely for the winter as the low water level made taking the boat out of the water difficult. CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), Oct 30, 2022

A southeast Nebraska attested that drought and fertilizer availability were factors in the uncertainty of next year’s crop. He has struggled to book fertilizer and wondered if it could be applied in the spring or whether he will be able to get his hands on fertilizer by then. The farmer also mentioned that there was nothing in the soil for the anhydrous to bind to, so it will simply evaporate. Brownfield Online (Jefferson City, Mo.), Oct 31, 2022

The number of feeder cattle sold in the combined weekly cattle auction from mid-July through mid-October was up 19.7%. Larger summer sales volume means fewer sold in the fall, and the feeder sales volume for the past two weeks has been down 6.1% compared to the same time last year. The volume of cull cows in Oklahoma auctions remained well above last year. The volume of cull cows and bulls in auctions has averaged twice the number from one year ago since mid-July and has been higher nearly every week of the year. This increase has added roughly 50,000 head of cull cows above year ago levels in the seven federally reported Oklahoma auctions. Drovers Cattle Network (Lenexa, Kan.), Oct 31, 2022

The town of Kimmswick, Missouri, opened a $1.3 million port in July 2021 to allow cruise ships on the Mississippi River to dock and let passengers disembark for shopping and touring the city. The town of 131 people depends on river traffic and river-themed events for its economy. The American Queen Riverboat recently had to cancel docking at the new port due to the low river levels. Although 13 boats were scheduled to dock at Kimmswick this year, only four have stopped. Courthouse News Service (Pasadena, Calif.), Oct 31, 2022

Voluntary water restrictions took effect in Franklin because Cartoogechaye Creek was lower than usual, due to drought. The creek provides water to the treatment plant. Residents were urged to curb their water use by 5%. WLOS-TV ABC 13 Asheville (N.C.), Oct 28, 2022

Dry conditions at the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex on the California-Oregon border, offer little for ibis in the way of food and water, so the birds touch down, but soon decide to keep going south. Many birds, such as egrets, ducks, geese, hawks and eagles, are expected to do the same as wetland availability is low. The concern is that the birds will tire themselves by flying too far, increasing risk of starvation, vulnerability to disease or predators and chance of reproductive failure, risks that increase as the stress continues. Fewer migratory birds stopped last year. Some state and federal wildlife refuges have taken the unprecedented step of suspending hunts for waterfowl in fall and winter, or delaying the season, due to the dry conditions and difficulties that they pose for birds. The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, for instance, postponed its opener and lowered hunting quotas in many areas. Birds arrived early to the five refuges in the Sacramento Valley, which refuge managers think is the result of the birds seeking water. San Francisco Chronicle (Calif.), Oct 25, 2022

The city of Coalinga has spent $1.138 million to purchase 600 acre-feet of water from Patterson Irrigation District for about $1,900 per acre-foot. Other water agencies were asking up to $5,000 per acre-foot. Coalinga normally buys its water from the federal government at $130 per acre-foot, but the Bureau of Reclamation cut water supplies to most San Joaquin Valley irrigators, due to drought. The Fresno Bee (Calif.), Oct 28, 2022 Coalinga could run out of water by December. Supplying the town with water from elsewhere will be very costly as officials estimated that water purchased from private vendors would increase the cost from $133,000 to $1.3 million for the same amount of water. Drought also causes an illness called Valley Fever, which comes from breathing in soil fungus. KSEE-TV NBC 24 Fresno (Calif.), Oct 13, 2022

Hundreds of wild pigs were digging up yards and flower beds in the Lake area. An official from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that during drought years that pigs come to residential areas for food and water when the landscape turns dry. KRCR-TV ABC 7 (Redding, Calif.), Oct 27, 2022

Foundation repair businesses in the Rose Hill area, just southeast of Wichita, were overwhelmed with calls for service after a summer of intense drought. One contractor has 215 missed text messages and has been receiving 15 to 20 calls per day. He noted that 30% of the calls were in foundation repair and that they could not keep up. The calls began to increase in the past few months, due to drought. Another foundation repair business was already scheduled through February. He estimated that probably 65% of their business was in settlement issues as call volume rose 30%. KSN-TV News 3 (Wichita, Kan.), Oct 27, 2022

Thirty-three of Oklahoma’s 77 counties had burn bans as of Oct. 25. Oklahoma’s News 4 (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Oct 27, 2022

Oklahoma City Fire Department has responded to nearly 190 grass fires this month. Oklahoma’s News 4 (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Oct 27, 2022

A diver in the Callville Bay area of Lake Mead found a bone on Oct. 17, and the next day a park dive team searched and found human skeletal remains. This is the sixth set of human remains found at Lake Mead this year as the lake level continued to drop, due to drought. The first body was found on May 1. CNN (Atlanta, Ga.), Oct 27, 2022

The streamflow of the Potomac River was so low that hourly drought monitoring has been required for the area’s main water supply. The flow of the Potomac River has remained below 2,000 cubic feet per second since Oct. 23 at Point of Rocks, Maryland. WTOP (Chevy Chase, Md.), Oct 27, 2022

Hay and forage production in Iowa and southern Missouri was down through much of the growing season, so cow-calf producers will have to find an alternative feed to stuff to partially replace hay. In the Ozarks, a bale of grass hay sells for $50 to $60 in some areas. Forage testing is essential as fescue is toxic, while hay is half as toxic as the pasture, according to an Extension forage specialist with the University of Missouri. AgUpdate (Tekamah, Neb.), Oct 27, 2022

Brown County Water Improvement District urged customers to conserve as much as possible as Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan remained in effect. The district was nearing Stage 2, Moderate Drought Conditions, which will start when Lake Brownwood drops to 8 feet below spillway. The water level was 7.9 feet below the spillway earlier in the week and at 62.8% capacity. BrownwoodNews.com (Texas), Oct 27, 2022

Polk County had a burn ban in effect as of Oct. 24. The Kansas City Star (Mo.), Oct 25, 2022

The windy, dry weather in the Kansas City area contributed to the grass fires that burned in south Kansas City between Raytown and Lees Summit. Kansas City has received 28 inches of rain, compared to the about 35 inches of rain typically received by this point in the year. The Kansas City Star (Mo.), Oct 25, 2022