Drought

Coastal Bend livestock producers continued to feed supplemental protein and hay, although hay supplies were tighter than normal. Recent rainfall stimulated pasture growth. Texas A&M AgriLife (College Station, Texas), Jan. 29, 2020

Many evergreen trees in the Louisville area appeared to have suffered damage during the intense late summer/fall drought. WLKY.com Louisville Channel (Ky.), Jan. 28, 2020

Due to dry conditions in eastern Colorado, topsoil was blowing and winter wheat needs more moisture before green-up. High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal (Dodge City, Kan.), Jan. 30, 2020

Above normal rainfall in December and January allowed the South Carolina Drought Response Committee to remove the drought status of 27 counties, leaving the entire state free of drought. The 27 counties that returned to normal condition were Aiken, Abbeville, Allendale, Barnwell, Calhoun, Chester, Cherokee, Clarendon, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union and York. Department of Natural Resources (Columbia, S.C.), Jan. 30, 2020 The South Carolina Drought Response Committee reassessed conditions and determined that drought had improved across the state, with a lowering or removal of drought designation in 38 counties. Three counties were in moderate drought, and 24 counties were in incipient drought. The committee planned to meet again in mid to late January to revisit the drought status. Orangeburg Times and Democrat (S.C.), Dec. 4, 2019 The South Carolina Drought Response Committee reassessed conditions for the state on Oct. 31 and found that recent rainfall eased conditions somewhat, but that more rain was needed to end drought. Eleven counties transitioned from moderate to incipient drought, joining three counties already at incipient drought. One county went from incipient drought to normal, for five counties in normal condition. Twenty-seven counties remained in moderate drought. Forage production was down after the summer drought, leaving farmers hurriedly planting fall grazing and hoping for moderate temperatures and continued rain to promote growth. Department of Natural Resources (Columbia, S.C.), Oct. 31, 2019 The South Carolina Drought Response Committee announced that the drought statuses of most counties will remain the same through the fall. Beef producers were feeding hay early, soil was very dry for planting winter grazing, and row crop yields were reduced in affected counties. Department of Natural Resources (Columbia, S.C.), Oct. 17, 2019

Rare salt formations have appeared along the shores of the Great Salt Lake, which is low due to drought and water diversion. The formations occur as water bubbles up to the surface from warm, sulfate-rich springs, encounters cold air and separates into mounds of mirabilite. Idaho State Journal (Pocatello), Jan. 10, 2020

A drought watch for Auburn has ended after Lake Oglethorpe, the city’s primary reservoir, was replenished to full capacity. The watch took effect in early December. No drought-related water restrictions were in effect. WTVM-TV News 9 Columbus (Ga.), Jan. 22, 2020

Citrus growers in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley were worried about the absence of rain this winter and fear it will mean less irrigation water this summer. KRGV-TV Channel 5 Weslaco (Texas), Jan. 18, 2020

Warm, dry weather led officials in Texas County to renew a two week burn ban in the county. KFDA-TV Newschannel 10 (Amarillo, Texas), Jan. 13, 2020

Potter County commissioners approved a 90-day burn ban as the region endured warm, dry weather. KFDA-TV Newschannel 10 (Amarillo, Texas), Jan. 13, 2020

Near-normal rainfall and more rain in the forecast ended the Stage 1 water shortage for Upcountry Maui. Maui Now (Kahului, Hawaii), Jan. 7, 2020 The Maui County Department of Water Supply asked water customers in West, Central and Upcountry Maui to continue to voluntarily conserve water despite recent rain as overall dry, warm conditions persisted. Maui News (Wailuku, Hawaii), Dec. 19, 2019 The Stage 1 water shortage declaration for the Upcountry remained in effect. Maui News (Hawaii), Oct. 18, 2019 Upcountry Maui residents were asked to limit non-essential water use as El Niño conditions, extreme heat and an early start to the dry season dropped water levels and drove up water use. A Stage 1 water shortage took effect on May 24. With less water for irrigation, farmers will be forced to reduce planting. Maui Now (Kahului, Hawaii), June 21, 2019 The Maui County Department of Water Supply declared a Stage 1 water shortage for the Upcountry. The restriction, calling for a voluntary 10 percent reduction in water use, took effect on May 25 and was put into place in preparation for drier conditions over the summer. Affected communities included Haiku, Makawao, Olinda, Pukalani, Kula, Haliimaile, Omaopio/Pulehu, Keokea/Waiohuli, Ulupalakua and Kanaio. Maui News (Hawaii), May 25, 2019

With virtually no grass left for Hill Country livestock to graze, ranchers were facing the difficult decision of how much longer they were willing to buy expensive feed and hay. KERA Public Media (Dallas, Texas), Jan. 11, 2020

Wheat in northeastern New Mexico was manifesting signs of drought stress. Associated Press, Jan. 2, 2020

Trout stocked in West Virginia waterways in the winter months were smaller than normal as drought during the latter part of summer through the fall affected fish size, according to Jim Hedrick, the division hatchery supervisor. Water supplies improved in October, allowing normal feeding of the fish to resume. Winter weather tends to slow the growth rate of fish, but growth should increase as warmer weather returns. Increased feeding is also being offered to bolster fish size. WBOY-TV Clarksburg (W.V.), Jan. 6, 2020

The boat ramp at B.T. Brown Reservoir reopened before Christmas after closing in October, due to low water levels. Newnan Times-Herald (Ga.), Jan. 3, 2020 The boat ramp at B.T. Brown Reservoir remained closed, due to drought, because the ramp ended a few feet from the water. The reservoir was also too low for boats to operate safely as boaters were getting stuck and causing the water to become muddy. Newnan Times-Herald (Ga.), Nov. 19, 2019

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 17 counties dealing with “a threat of imminent disaster” due to “exceptional drought conditions.” The 17 counties were Bandera, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Karnes, Kendall, Kinney, Llano, Maverick, McCulloch, Medina, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, Williamson, Zapata, and Zavala counties. The declaration authorized the use of all available state and local resources reasonably necessary to deal with the disaster. KWTX-TV 10 News Waco (Texas), Jan. 6, 2020

Although drought ended in Southeast Alaska, the diesel surcharge in Ketchikan will remain in effect until April 2020. KRBD-FM 103.5 Community Radio (Ketchikan, Alaska), Dec. 18, 2019 A planned electric rate increase for customers of Ketchikan Public Utilities will be put off until the current diesel surcharge was no longer in effect. The 3.5 percent rate increase was to begin April 1, but the utility was still using diesel to generate electricity and was adding a diesel surcharge to customers’ bills. When rainfall refills reservoirs so cheaper hydropower can be generated again, diesel will not be needed and the diesel surcharge can be dropped. KRBD (Ketchikan, Alaska), March 7, 2019

Pastures were dry in Lincoln County, leaving nothing for cattle to eat and forcing a cattle producer to begin feeding hay in early August to keep livestock alive. He expected to take a sizeable portion of his herd of more than 300 cattle to auction and thought that many area producers would have to do the same. WBTV-TV Channel 3 (Charlotte, N.C.), Oct. 7, 2019

A project assessing tree and shrub species in the 2,800 acre Fidalgo Forest revealed that summer drought conditions affected the health of trees. Cedars and hemlocks displayed an observable and quantifiable increase in drought-caused stress and mortality, according to a University of Washington forest scientist. Near Whistle Lake, 39 percent of Western hemlocks sand 23 percent of Western red cedars had died. Evidence suggested that many of those trees died in the past two years, underscoring the likelihood of drought being responsible for the deaths. Skagit Valley Herald (GoSkagit.com) (Mount Vernon, Wash.), Dec. 17, 2019

Crop conditions in Jefferson County deteriorated, due to drought. Peanut producers waited for rain to harvest dryland acres, but had to begin the harvest due to the considerable decline in vine health, increased pod damage and lack of fill. Dryland cotton was in very poor condition. Hay feeding began after pasture conditions declined earlier than usual. AgFax (Brandon, Miss.), Oct. 15, 2019

Dry conditions prevented another cutting from hayfields in Bleckley County, leaving producers concerned about feed for the winter. Ponds, creeks and rivers were low from the lack of rain. AgFax (Brandon, Miss.), Oct. 15, 2019