Drought

Drought and poor conditions in the Klamath River led the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to relocate 1.1 million young Chinook salmon. The fish were at the Iron Gate, Fall Creek and Trinity River hatchery facilities until conditions improve. The young salmon will likely be released in October or November, rather than this spring. KOBI-TV NBC5 (Medford, Ore.), July 8, 2021

Drought and heat were increasing the cost of electricity for Montanans this summer as hydropower production fell. NorthWestern Energy, the state’s largest electric utility, was spending possibly $25 million more than anticipated for power, which will be passed along to customers beginning in July 2022. KTVH-TV (Helena, Mont.), July 6, 2021

During the first four months of 2021, hydroelectric generation in California was 37% less than in the same four months in 2020 and 71% less than during those months in 2019. Hydroelectric generation in California in 2021 is expected to be 19% less than in2020, decreasing from 16.8 million megawatt hours (MWh) in 2020 to 13.6 million MWh in 2021, according to the Short-Term Energy Outlook. U.S. Energy Information Administration (Washington, D.C.), July 7, 2021

Grass in Routt County was too thin and short to be cut, with yields down 70% to 90%. Most fields have 25% of normal growth. Hay was expensive. At the hay auction in Fort Collins in late June, hay sold for $250 or more per ton. Rather than buy hay, some ranchers were selling livestock. Steamboat Pilot & Today (Colo.), July 5, 2021

Drought and poor grass growth led to increased cattle sales since March at the Western Stockman’s Market in McFarland. Sales were up between a quarter and a third as feed costs were prohibitively high, even for alternative feed like almond hulls and cottonseed. A number of ranchers were even considering ending the family ranching business, despite a 150-year history for some. A Kern County rancher sold a third of his herd for lack of grass. The Bakersfield Californian, July 5, 2021

Maine has experienced more wildfires since its drought began in 2020 and saw 1,350 fires in 2020. In 2021, Maine has already had 534 wildfires that burned 350 acres. Bangor Daily News (Maine), July 3, 2021 The Maine Forest Service has responded to almost 430 wildfires since the start of the year. Associated Press, May 30, 2021 Wildfires continued amid the dry conditions in Maine with the Maine Forest Service responding to 379 wildfires that blackened 257 acres so far in 2021. CentralMaine.com (Augusta, Me.), May 20, 2021 Fire activity has been higher in Maine in 2021 with 163 fires burning 122 acres, compared with 2020 when 112 fires charred 94.7 acres. Reasons for the uptick in fire activity included more debris fires escaping containment and the precipitation deficit of 4 to 6 inches. The snowpack was smaller and melted earlier than usual. Portland Press Herald (Maine), April 14, 2021

Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a statewide fire emergency in Montana as numerous wildfires burned in the state. The declaration allows the governor to utilize the Montana National Guard in firefighting efforts and also permitted the activation of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid agreement allowing states to share resources during emergencies or disasters. As of July 14, almost 1,400 wildfires blackened more than 220 square miles in the state. Associated Press News (New York), July 14, 2021

Pastures in Dewey County were depleted and short; a pond was low and held a little stagnant water; and ranchers were thinning herds. The Belle Fourche Livestock Market sale barn sold 3,400 head of cattle in the last week of June 2021, more than 10 times the roughly 300 cattle sold in the last week of June 2020. South Dakota Public Broadcasting (Vermillion, S.D.), July 7, 2021

Drought, high hay prices and poor grass growth has Wyoming ranchers making tough decisions about buying hay or selling cattle. A late June price release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that Wyoming alfalfa prices were up to $180 per ton, an increase of $5 over last May. Other hay was also at $180 per ton, an increase of $45 over last May. Sublette Examiner (Wyo.), July 8, 2021

The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District delayed the start of the growing season by 30 days on April 1, leading some farmers to receive their first delivery of irrigation water six weeks later than in 2020. The water supply was expected to end mid-July, which would leave farmers either without water for the remainder of the growing season or relying on groundwater, which can be expensive. To cope with the shorter growing season, a chile grower purchased 300,000 partially mature chile plants instead of growing them from seeds himself. Santa Fe New Mexican, July 3, 2021

Northern California farmers who typically get water from lakes, rivers and streams were limited on how much they can use, and, instead, were forced to leave fields fallow or pump groundwater. Farmers were not getting any water from the state or federal projects. Chico Enterprise Record (Calif.), July 4, 2021

Grasshoppers and Mormon cricket infestations were being reported across the state, according to Utah's Department of Agriculture and Food. Grasshoppers were descending on 10,000 to 20,000 acres of land at densities of 100 grasshoppers or more per square yard and were devouring crops. Drought may be a factor in the insects’ population increases. Grasshoppers were more prevalent than the crickets. KSTU-FOX13 (Salt Lake City), July 6, 2021

Public lands agencies curtailed some permits on the lands they manage in western Colorado. Drought drove up hay prices, but cow producers cannot afford hay at $300 per ton. Montrose Daily Press (Colo.), July 3, 2021

Drought and heat kept canola and peas in eastern Montana and western North Dakota on the small side, with the yields expected to be significantly affected. Canola has not grown enough to cover the dirt between rows, but were flowering. Some small grains in northwestern North Dakota were poor with uneven emergence and growth. Some spring wheat producers expect average yields, while others have abandoned their fields. Williston Herald (N.D.) July 4, 2021

Western and Northern Plains states were shipping in hay as production was poor, due to drought. Land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program was opened to haying and grazing in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Colorado and South Dakota had 98% and 92% of their counties open, and more counties will likely be added. Cattle producers were encouraged to destock if they did not have pasture. Hay needed to be monitored for nitrate and nutrient levels, while water quality, too, was an issue. DTN - Progressive Farmer (Burnsville, Minn.) July 5, 2021

Wheat 30 miles south of Spokane was short, sparse and blue with kernels that were tiny, dry and shriveled. The CEO of the Washington Grain Commission was expecting winter wheat to yield about 50 bushels per acre for Eastern Washington, although the average was about 70 bushels per acre. The Spokane Spokesman-Review (Wash.), July 9, 2021 The wheat 35 miles west of Spokane was pinched and shriveled after the heatwave killed half of the farmer’s 8,000 acres just three weeks before harvest. Drought and a late frost also hurt the crop. KREM-TV CBS 2 (Spokane, Wash.), July 2, 2021 Dryland wheat farmers in eastern Washington were suffering amid the second driest spring on record and intense heat. Wheat was a complete loss in Benton, Yakima and Klickitat counties, according to the executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers. Wheat was below average for many eastern Washington counties. The state’s wheat industry requested a drought declaration from Gov. Jay Inslee in mid-June, but the Inslee administration refused the request. Capital Press (Salem, Ore.), June 28, 2021

California Gov. Gavin Newsom included another nine counties in the emergency drought proclamation that encompasses 50 of the state's 58 counties. The nine counties were Inyo, Marin, Mono, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. Associated Press News (New York), July 8, 2021 California Gov. Gavin Newsom included another 39 counties in his drought emergency declaration, which originally included only Sonoma and Mendocino counties. No mandatory drought water conservation targets were ordered, as was done during the previous drought, because Californians were using 16% less water than they did in 2013 as conservation had become a habit. Newsom will also request $5.1 billion over the next four years, including $1 billion to help low-income residents pay overdue water bills, $1.3 billion for upgrades to drinking water systems and funds for groundwater projects, canal repairs and fish restoration projects. Warm temperatures melted the Sierra Nevada snowpack quickly, which was only 59% of historical average on April 1. Much of the runoff soaked into the dry soil rather than refilling reservoirs, which consequently hold 500,000 acre-feet less than was anticipated, enough water for 1 million households. The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.), May 10, 2021 Gov. Gavin Newsom declared drought emergency in Mendocino and Sonoma counties as they deal with “substantial water supply and ecosystem challenges.” State officials were directed to work with local water suppliers to conserve more water. Lake Mendocino was at about 43% capacity, and Lake Sonoma was about 62% full. The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.), April 21, 2021

The number of wildfires in California and the land burned continued to run ahead of last year’s numbers, which was a record year in terms of land burned. From the start of 2021 through July 4, 4,599 fires blackened 114.8 square miles (297 square kilometers), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Associated Press (N.Y.), July 7, 2021 California fire activity was ahead of last year’s record fire season, leading Gov. Gavin Newsom to propose spending a record $2 billion on wildfire mitigation, which is twice what he proposed in January. Since the start of the year, more than 2,600 fires burned 24 square miles, or nearly five times more land than at this point last year. Associated Press (New York, N.Y.), May 24, 2021 With the warm, dry spring, Cal Fire has reported more than 1,800 fires charring nearly 9,400 acres since the start of 2021, more than double the five-year average. San Francisco Chronicle, May 11, 2021 As California wildfire officials anticipated anther historic fire season, fire activity and the burned area were already higher than in 2020. Since the start of the year, more than 1,950 fires have blackened more than 20 square miles, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. In 2020, more than 6,390 square miles burned in 10,431 wildfires, as tallied by NIFC, for the worst fire season recorded in California. The Weather Channel (Atlanta, Ga.), May 6, 2021 In a busy start to the fire season, 297 wildfires in California blackened 1,171 acres statewide on nonfederal lands, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This count is more than double the number of blazes seen in January 2020, a historic year for wildfires in the Golden State. The five-year average for January is 108 fires, with 58 acres burned, according to Cal Fire. USA Today (McLean, Va.), Feb. 3, 2021

Syrup output from maple trees in New Hampshire was poor this spring, likely due to drought last year. New Hampshire Business Review (Concord), June 29, 2021

All outdoor water use was banned in South Berwick, due to drought. WGME-TV 13 Portland (Maine), June 29, 2021