Drought

Utah Governor Spencer Cox and firefighters appealed to the public to skip personal fireworks this year. All of Utah is in drought and has already been battling wildfires. Some cities, such as South Jordan have begun enacting fireworks restrictions, due to the wildfire risk and limited firefighting resources. KSTU-FOX 13 (Salt Lake City, Utah), June 23, 2022

Intensifying drought conditions have led officials in Williamson County to disallow sales of stick rockets and missiles with fins or rudders. In Travis County, the Texas Pyrotechnic Association also voluntarily agreed to not sell certain products in the county, due to the fire risk. Both Williamson and Travis counties have bans on outdoor burning. KVUE News Online (Texas), June 23, 2022

Corn in western Kentucky has gray, folded leaves as just 50% to 75% of normal rain has fallen in the past 30 days. The heat and low rainfall may be reducing yields. Louisville Courier Journal (Ky.), June 23, 2022

Houston residents were asked to conserve water as of June 21 due to moderate to severe drought in the region. KHOU (Houston, Texas), June 22, 2022

Ten of 16 counties in the Brazos Valley enacted burn bans as area vegetation became drier. The 10 counties are Milam, Burleson, Lee, Austin, Waller, Grimes, Madison, Walker, Trinity and San Jacinto. KBTX (Bryan, Texas), June 22, 2022

The grass at the Santa Barbara Cemetery was not as green as it has been in the past as gardeners use less water as directed by the governor in May. Families dislike seeing the brown grass and sometimes bring full watering cans to irrigate the grass to improve the appearance. KEYT-TV (Santa Barbara, Calif.), June 20, 2022

Glendale officials declared a Stage 1 drought watch due to the state of the Colorado River water system. For the city's municipal properties, the water reduction goal is 5%, but residents and businesses do not yet have any mandatory water restrictions. Phoenix Business Journal (Ariz.), June 20, 2022

Farmers in Missouri are worried about the early summer heat and the absence of rain for their crops. The rainy spring delayed corn and soybean planting by a month or two, leaving the young plants to broil under the intense summer sun. High input costs leave farmers stressed as they are working with very thin margins, hoping that they won’t have to use crop insurance. KY3 (Springfield, Mo.), June 20, 2022

Residents of Dodge City are asked to conserve water due to heat and drought. A water watch is declared when the city’s water storage falls below 75% and does not recover within 12 hours and/or water demand for five days exceeds an average of 10.75 million gallons per day. The trigger for the current water watch is high water demand. KWCH 12 (Wichita, Kan.), June 17, 2022

The 2022 California Triathlon scheduled for June 12 was canceled due to low water levels at New Melones Lake, which was at 34% of capacity. The Wall Street Journal (New York), June 19, 2022

Prineville Reservoir in central Oregon was 29% full for the lowest level in more than 20 years. The water line is below all three developed ramps, leaving just two dirt ones that are not used frequently as people fear getting stuck in the mud. The Wall Street Journal (New York), June 19, 2022

Area businesses near Lake Mead were struggling as the depleted reservoir drew fewer visitors. Houseboat revenues have dropped by 30% in 2022 compared to the previous year as guests canceled their plans. A marina at Callville Bay has moved nearly daily and has inched out 900 feet so far in 2022 to be able to keep houseboats and private vessels afloat. Crews of eight divers accomplish the moves, using steel cables to 170 concrete anchors weighing 12,000 pounds apiece. While moving the marina is costly, it’s important to maintain water access for existing customers. The Wall Street Journal (New York), June 19, 2022

Five boat ramps at Lake Mead have been closed, due to low water levels, as the ramps no longer reached the water. With fewer boat ramps available, the wait time was a matter of hours to put a boat in the water. To maintain water access via an open boat ramp, crews put down metal mats to continue road access to the ramp as the water level at Lake Mead fell another 10 feet as water was held upstream to support Lake Powell. The Wall Street Journal (New York), June 19, 2022

New Braunfels has been in Stage 2 restrictions since April. The J-17 well fell below 640 feet, which is the trigger for Stage 3 restrictions, but New Braunfels’ water resources, combined with conservation and water stewardship, mitigate the need for Stage 3 restrictions. New Braunfels Utilities could change their recommendation to the mayor if conditions change. New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (Texas), June 13, 2022

The Davis School District trimmed water use by 60% in 2021 by installing drought-tolerant lawns and landscaping with customized irrigation. This year, the school district intends to take the lessons learned last year and apply them at nearly 100 district properties with the aim of halving outdoor water use. The district uses a drought-tolerant lawn of Kentucky 31 that uses less water and only needs to be cut once a year. A new irrigation “smart clock system” would connect with weather stations and delay irrigation if rain falls. KSL.com (Salt Lake City, Utah), June 18, 2022

Peach growers in Fredericksburg have been irrigating their trees for weeks because they have only received 5.5 inches of rain since the start of the year. The fruit is small and is not ripening. Low production prompted the owner to forego self-peach-picking this year. Another area farmer stated that the dry conditions led to low product and caused him to close his business for the season. KSAT-TV ABC 12 San Antonio (Texas), June 17, 2022

New fire restrictions for parts of Colorado’s Front Range and Western Slope have been enacted as the fire danger increases. Boulder County implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions for unincorporated western parts of the county. Clear Creek County has taken a similar action, and Stage 1 restrictions also took effect in Ouray, San Miguel and Montrose counties. The Bureau of Land Management’s Gunnison and Uncompahgre field offices enacted Stage 1 restrictions as well, affecting Delta, Gunnison, Montrose, Ouray, San Juan, San Miguel and portions of Hinsdale and Saguache counties. The Denver Post (Colo.), June 15, 2022

Drought, heat and high winds in the Southern Plains has killed many acres of cotton in the past week. The cotton has been blown out of the ground on many farms, stated farm broadcaster Tony St. James. The wheat has not fared so well either. Yields were mostly in the six to ten bushel per acre range, but some were up to 20 bushels. The yield is so low that in other years, it may not have even been harvested, but this year with prices being so high, farmers will harvest. RFD TV (Nashville, Tenn.), June 16, 2022

Contra Costa Water District’s Board of Directors approved a temporary drought surcharge as part of its Drought Management Program. The 15% surcharge will take effect July 1 to promote conservation and to recoup costs related to the ongoing drought. The Drought Management Program also offers a credit for households using 200 gallons per day or less. East County Today (Antioch, Calif.), June 16, 2022

As drought continues to drive the level of Lake Powell lower, the likelihood of invasive smallmouth bass crossing the Glen Canyon Dam increases, where the bass would be a threat to endangered fish in the Grand Canyon. Smallmouth bass prefer warm water and stay in the upper part of the water column, which is coming increasingly nearer to the intakes, which would transfer them to the river below. The problem with the bass becoming established below the dam is that the fish are thought to have decimated the humpback chub populations in the upper basin and would likely do the same with endangered fish below Glen Canyon Dam. Biologists are considering different ways of keeping the bass above the dam, but do not have any easy way of doing so. The Aspen Times (Colo.), June 13, 2022