Drought

More than 90% of the small grain crops in south central and southwestern North Dakota will not be harvested as most of it has already been baled, according to the owner of an ag supply store in Mandan who was part of the Agweek Crop Tour. Much of the small grains were baled for hay. Nitrate levels were found to be too high in some of the hay and was not safe for use as livestock feed. Some of the early chopped corn for silage had nitrate levels of 10,000 parts per million, far too high for livestock feed. Agweek (Fargo, N.D.), Aug 7, 2021

United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited with Minnesota farmers, who shared their accounts of drought on their farms. He learned that sale barns were turning livestock owners away as there was no one to purchase the livestock. Yet there was no hay or grazing land to sustain the animals. Vilsack said that he would strive to get additional aid for farmers. Duluth News Tribune (Minn.), Aug 12, 2021

While melons thrive in hot, dry weather, this year has been too hot and dry for melons in the Forestburg area. The quality of the melons is amazing, but the quantity was down, yielding about half the usual number of melons. A particular cow comes over to the roadside stand daily, hoping for a melon. KELOLAND-TV CBS 11 (Sioux City, S.D.), Aug 10, 2021

Drought dried up the last natural watering hole for livestock on a Moffat County ranch. The ranchers haul hundreds of gallons of water daily for the animals. Hay has not grown well in recent years, forcing them to buy hay, which is pricey with the shipping costs. The ranchers coped by selling a third of their herd this year. If there is not water for cattle, deer and elk were probably suffering, too, so hunting may not be very good in northwest Colorado. Craig Daily Press (Colo.), Aug 13, 2021

Many North Dakota farmers were harvesting corn for livestock forage instead of grain, according to North Dakota State University Extension. Short or very short described 92% of topsoil and 89% of subsoil in the state. Almost two-thirds of the spring wheat crop was rated poor or very poor, with about half of the corn and soybean crops also in those two categories. Ranchers were culling herds and cutting failed corn and other crops for hay across the state. Water quality continued to be a concern. Pasture and range conditions were rated 79% poor or very poor, as was 75% of the alfalfa hay crop. The Bismarck Tribune (N.D.), Aug 12, 2021

A Bitterroot Valley rancher and hay grower came up 750 to 1,000 bales short this year. The high cost of hay at $330 per ton, nearly double last year’s price, has ranchers selling livestock. Grain farmers were being asked to bale their straw or have it baled to use as a feed supplement. Ravalli Republic (Mont.), Aug 8, 2021

The Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on Aug. 10 requesting that the county be declared an agricultural disaster area. Corn, hay and soybean yields were down significantly. The first cutting was hay was nearly average, but second ones were almost “non-existent.” The Northern Virginia Daily (Strasburg), Aug 11, 2021

A livestock producer in Shenandoah County began feeding his cattle hay at the end of July after they grazed the pasture down, and he anticipated having to sell some animals. Corn, hay and soybean yields were down significantly. The first cutting was hay was nearly average, but second ones were almost “non-existent.” The Northern Virginia Daily (Strasburg), Aug 11, 2021

A hay grower in Oregon’s Klamath Basin said he typically produces 600 tons of hay annually, but got only 60 tons, or 10% of normal, this year. Rather than having 300 tons of hay to sell, he was looking to buy 400 tons of hay this year. AgWeb (Mexico, Mo.), Aug 9, 2021

A sheep producer in central Wyoming sold his herd of 150 sheep down to just 38, knowing that he couldn’t afford to feed them during a drought. A cattle rancher in south central Wyoming attested that he knew people who made major adjustments in May and June anticipating that drought would make things difficult this year. AgWeb (Mexico, Mo.), Aug 9, 2021

Dryland crops in Thayer County in southeast Nebraska missed significant rains and were struggling. Irrigated corn should have a good yield, but irrigation costs and the water demand has been high during the summer. Brownfield Ag (Jefferson City, Mo.), Aug 10, 2021

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed an executive order on Aug. 9 easing some hours of service restrictions for truckers transporting hay, water and livestock to assist ranchers struggling with providing feed and water for their herds amid drought. The Bismarck Tribune (N.D.), Aug 13, 2021

North Dakota livestock producers were urged to make sure their livestock were current on anthrax vaccinations after a case was confirmed in Kidder County. During drought, anthrax spores can become active on infected pasture land when cattle are grazing close to the ground. Agweek (Fargo, N.D.), Aug 6, 2021

South and central Maui residents were told to conserve water by the Maui Department of Water Supply, due to extreme drought. The Central Maui System relies mainly on groundwater. KHON-TV FOX 2 (Honolulu, Hawaii), July 30, 2021

The level of Blue Mesa Reservoir will fall about two feet per week through the end of September, when it should be 96 feet below capacity, a level not seen since the reservoir fell to 93 feet below capacity in 1984. The water is being sent downstream to support Lake Powell. KRDO-TV ABC 13 Colorado Springs (Colo.), Aug 2, 2021

North Dakota ranchers began culling livestock in April and May, given the drought and the need to prepare for drought sooner rather than later. AgWeb (Mexico, Mo.), Aug 9, 2021

Drought prevented corn from growing very tall, leaving Oregon farmers to cut it with a draper head. With no hay, ranchers continued selling cattle. One rancher in southeast Oregon had to pull his cattle off federal BLM land more than a month early. On top of the challenges that drought brings, there are grasshoppers eating everything and will even eat cow manure when that is the only thing left to eat. It’s too late to spray for grasshoppers—there is a certain window of time when the spray kills the grasshoppers, but that window has closed. AgWeb (Mexico, Mo.), Aug 9, 2021

Lake Oroville dropped to its lowest level since September 1977 and was below 643.5 feet above sea level on the morning of Aug. 3. The Edward Hyatt Power Plant is expected to lose the ability to produce power due to low water levels in early August. Water has been released through the base of the dam to maintain river temperature requirements in the Feather River below the dam. Oroville Mercury-Register (Calif.), Aug 3, 2021

Less water is being released from the Post Falls Dam, due to lower than normal storage in Lake Coeur d’Alene, leaving less water to send down the Spokane River to Spokane. The amount of water released from the dam was lowered from 600 cubic feet per second to 500 cfs. Spokane Public Radio (Wash.), Aug 2, 2021

The low level of Lake Powell made it more challenging for kayakers to reach the water at some boat ramps, and houseboats had to be removed from the lake a while ago. The extended boat ramp at Wahweap Bay will only be useable for another week or two. But then what? An old ramp on Wahweap Bay will be built out to support lake access for houseboats and smaller boats and hopefully can be constructed by Labor Day weekend. Lake Powell dropped to a new low of 3,553 feet last week. Associated Press News (New York), Aug 6, 2021