Drought

The Mississippi River below St. Louis was low from drought just as crop harvests were beginning, which is unfortunate, given how much grain is moved by barges. Tows normally move up to 36 barges at a time, but due to low water levels, will only move 25 barges at a time. Since the start of September, 1,890 grain barges have unloaded in New Orleans, which is about 39% fewer than the five-year average. “The tight barge supply is problematic for grain shippers heading into harvest,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Transportation Report. “Unless barge supply improves, the increased demand for barges from grain shippers during harvest will likely put even more upward pressure on barge rates.” The Associated Press (New York), Sept 29, 2022

Drought has caused a hay shortage and dried out ponds, leading many Oklahoma ranchers to sell livestock. The Tulsa Stockyard has been very busy as some ranchers downsize their herds a bit early this fall in preparation for winter. The aim was to sell the cattle before they began to lose weight. Drought limited the hay crop, so ranchers were trying to find enough to get through the year. Hay growers usually get two to three cuttings of hay, but not this summer for lack of rain. High fuel costs make it prohibitive to buy hay from out of state, so ranchers were selling the herd instead. The owner of the stockyard said that they might move 300 to 400 head in a day, but had a little over 5,000 head. KJRH-TV Tulsa 2 (Okla.), Sept 26, 2022

Tulsa, Muskogee, Creek, Rogers and Okmulgee counties are some of the counties in northeastern Oklahoma already in a burn ban as drought continues. Eastern Oklahoma has a precipitation deficit of six to 12 inches since the end of May. Muskogee County was under a 14-day burn ban, while Tulsa County just extended its burn ban by another seven days. KWTV-TV Oklahoma City (Okla.), Sept 27, 2022

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority was waiving the usual entrance fees for towns wanting to join the regional water system as high levels of bacteria, mandatory drought restrictions and limited supply affected South Shore communities. Patriot Ledger (Quincy, Mass.), Sept 26, 2022

The Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Refuge was dry after the past summer, and drought devastated the fish population, leaving dead fish on dry land. Whooping cranes and shore birds may not stop at the refuge this fall and keep flying in search of food and water. Great Bend Tribune (Kan.), Sept 24, 2022

Most volunteer fire departments in Wichita County were in favor of reestablishing a burn ban, which will take effect at midnight on Sept. 30. Burn bans have been in effect intermittently throughout 2022, with the most recent one being lifted on Aug. 26. Wichita Falls Times Record News (Texas), Sept 26, 2022

Oklahoma ranchers were selling cattle herds, the cost of shipping hay has tripled in some cases, and dry ponds were common as drought persists, constituting a crisis for the agriculture industry. Water for livestock was in short supply forcing ranchers to haul it in. Many ranchers, lacking food and water for their livestock, have been selling cattle, reducing the state’s cattle population by about 12%, according to the executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association. Many producers do not have enough hay to get through the winter, so sell-offs are likely to continue. It is possible that another large livestock selloff could take place in December and January. The Oklahoma Legislature allocated $3 million for drought relief this year, but exactly how the money would be spend had not been determined. An emergency drought commission meeting was held a week ago. Discussion included assisting ranchers with building a new water supply or drilling wells. Helping ranchers clean out dry ponds was another idea, as well as powering water pumps with solar panels rather than electrical lines. For many ranchers, the present drought could likely end their operations, particularly if they sell their entire herd. The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City), Sept 25, 2022

Many East Texas counties lifted their burn bans a month ago, but recent lack of rain, low humidity and high winds brought more fire activity. East Texans were urged to be very careful when engaging in activities that could inadvertently ignite a wildfire, given the dry conditions. KLTV-TV ABC 7 (Tyler, Texas), Sept 27, 2022

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism issued public fish salvage orders for Ellis City Lake in Ellis County, Warren Stone Lake in Rush County, Hodgeman State Fishing Lake in Hodgeman County and Goodman State Fishing Lake in Ness County. People with fishing licenses are free to catch the fish by legal methods and also by hand, dip net or seine. About 250 largemouth bass, some flathead catfish, channel catfish, and a few crappie were relocated from Ellis City Lake to Cedar Bluff State Park in Trego County. KSN-TV News 3 (Wichita, Kan.), Sept 27, 2022 A public fish salvage began for Ellis City Lake on Sept. 26, due to drought and minimal inflow. The public was welcome to catch the fish by legal methods, as well as by hand, dip net or seine. KAKE ABC 10 Wichita (Kan.), Sept 27, 2022

Extreme drought in northeastern Oklahoma has devastated crops and pastures and dried up ponds. One rancher described how conditions have forced him to move his cattle as Bermuda grass and ponds were dry. He plans to move his cattle to another pasture with a deeper pond in ten days. Water quality has also been an issue. One pond turned green. Another livestock producer in Vera had to sell about 150 head of cattle and lost his 130-acre soybean crop. Ponds for cattle were low and may not have enough water to get through the winter. Soil moisture is low to nonexistent for planting winter wheat. FOX 23 News (Tulsa, Okla.), Sept 23, 2022

Graham Lake has been low this summer, exposing more hardened lakebed than homeowners with lakefront property like to see. Homeowners filed complaints with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission because they suspected that Brookfield Renewable, which operates dams on Graham Lake and the Union River violated its license requirements for minimum flow requirements and water levels for each dam. Brookfield stated that drought caused the decrease in water level. Mount Desert Islander (Bar Harbor, Maine), Sept. 23, 2022

Forty-eight citations were issued in Ripon in July and August for water rules violations. Thirty-one citations were issued in July, and 14 in August, and three were for overwatering. Manteca Bulletin (Calif.), Sept. 23, 2022

A burn ban was issued for Scott County until further notice after the Scott County Commission and Scott County Office of Emergency Management issued the ban. Residents of Sikeston, including those in New Madrid County, will also be urged to follow the burn ban. All burning is banned, including brush piles and open fire pits. The burn ban was introduced because the county fire departments have responded to several grass fires that spread rapidly in the dry, windy conditions. MyKFVS12 (Cape Girardeau, Mo.), Sept 23, 2022

Apples grown in southeast South Dakota were about 30% to 40% smaller as little rain has fallen since May. Drought stressed the trees, causing them to abort some apples. Some of the smaller apples were also removed to allow the remaining apples to grow larger. Harmful insects were more prevalent. Siouxland Matters (Sioux City, Iowa), Sept 22, 2022

Fierce heat and drought in Arkansas limited hay and grass growth. August rains allowed farmers to grow some hay, but farmers still do not have enough to get through the winter. KTHV-TV Little Rock (Ark.), Sept 21, 2022

Iowa's drought has been hard on the soybean crop, apart from the northeast part of the state. An agronomist in the west central part of the state expected that many fields may yield 45 to 55 bushels per acre. AgUpdate (Tekamah, Neb.), Sept. 22, 2022

Inflation and drought are testing Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. Many worry about finances and whether they can keep the farm going as generations before them did. The stress and pressure can take a mental toll. KSWO-TV ABC 7 (Lawton, Okla.), Sept 22, 2022

Kansas will provide emergency drought assistance for agricultural businesses dealing with water shortages. The assistance comes as part of the state's Economic Recovery Loan Deposit Program, which has identified $60 million in funds to provide low-interest loans for agricultural businesses. KSHB-TV NBC 41 Kansas City (Mo.), Sept 22, 2022

Drought on Long Island has made produce smaller and required farmers to work harder, moving irrigation equipment to keep the crops alive. The fuel for irrigation is a large expense and cuts into profit. The corn maze is shorter than usual, and the pumpkins smaller, too. News 12 The Bronx (New York), Sept 21, 2022

As Lake Isabella in Central California drops to 8% capacity, the remnants of Whiskey Flat have reappeared. Dating back to the Gold Rush era, the town was witness to gold discoveries, rivalries and much Old West history. SFGate (San Francisco, Calif.), Sept 6, 2022