Drought

Heat and absence of rain led to leaf rolling in some Michigan corn. The dry weather also hurt pasture and range conditions to the extent that some producers were giving their livestock supplemental feed. USAgNet (Marshfield, Wis.), Aug. 13, 2019

Kentucky’s sunflowers needed more rain than they received to thrive this growing season, leaving the plants shorter than normal. WBKO-TV Bowling Green (Ky.), Aug. 12, 2019

Indiana corn and soybean development was affected by dry weather, causing crop conditions to decline somewhat. Moisture stress was apparent statewide, particularly in fields with coarse soils. Irrigation was in use where available. USAgNet (Marshfield, Wis.), Aug. 13, 2019

Unirrigated corn in Alabama was suffering amid the heat and intensifying drought. In Autauga County, the unirrigated corn was entirely brown, bearing ears that were half the size of those produced by irrigated corn. Cotton was dropping boles. Montgomery Advertiser (Ala.), Aug. 13, 2019

A produce vendor in Horry County has been buying produce from Columbia this summer to have something to sell at his stand after drought damaged his crops. WMBF-TV NBC Myrtle Beach (S.C.), Aug. 13, 2019

The South Carolina Drought Response Committee met on Aug. 12 and upgraded the drought status for 33 counties. Nine counties were upgraded from normal to incipient drought; 11 counties remained in incipient drought; 24 counties were upgraded to moderate drought; and two counties were in normal condition. Some upstate cattle producers were liquidating cattle herds, due to exceedingly dry pastures, while others opted to feed hay cut just this spring. Orangeburg Times and Democrat (S.C.), Aug. 12, 2019

Pastures and hayfields in the Coastal Bend were drying quickly, and livestock grazing was short in some pastures as a result. Some cattle producers offered supplemental feeding or began marketing cattle to lower stocking rates. Some counties adopted burn bans as dryness persisted. Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Aug. 13, 2019

Hay making in the Rolling Plains slowed, due to the dry conditions. Pastures were drying up quickly, and the fire danger was rising. Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Aug. 13, 2019

Hot, dry conditions in central Texas caused pasture quality to deteriorate, with some producers beginning to feed round bales. Grass production was slowed as soil moisture was short. Cotton producers irrigated heavily. Stock tank levels were dropping. Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Aug. 13, 2019

Brazos County commissioners approved a 90-day burn ban prohibiting all outdoor burning effective Aug. 13. The neighboring counties of Milam and Robertson also adopted burn bans recently. Statewide, 104 Texas counties banned outdoor burning, due to dry conditions. Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Aug. 13, 2019

The corn crop in Mercer County has been hurt by drought with an anticipated yield reduction of 10 to 20 percent, according to a local farmer. He examined an ear, noting that the lower half of the ear was beginning to turn yellow, while it remained unclear whether the upper half of the ear would make corn. Some corn has fired all the way to the ear. Soybeans were in need of moisture also. WQAD-TV 8 (Davenport/Rock Island/Moline) (Iowa), Aug. 9, 2019

Wilson County commissioners enacted a 90-day burn ban as dry conditions continued. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index was in the 500 to 600 range. Statewide, 102 counties banned outdoor burning. My San Antonio.com (Texas), Aug. 12, 2019

A red flag was flown in front of the courthouse in Sinton, indicating that a ban on outdoor burning was in effect. The ban lasts 90 days. KIII-TV3 South Texas (Corpus Christi, Texas), Aug. 8, 2019

An athletic field in Tuscola required three to four waterings per day to keep the field green. news gazette (Champaign, Ill.), Aug. 6, 2019

Unseasonably warm water and low stream flows due to drought have kept pink salmon out of Prince William Sound, lowering salmon harvests. The year-to-date harvest on Aug. 6 was 13.6 million fish, compared to a recent year-to-date odd-year harvest average of 31.2 million fish. Cordova Times (Alaska), Aug. 9, 2019

As topsoil moisture became short in Ohio, crops began showing stress. Corn and soybeans needed rain to enhance their condition and growth. Ohio's Country Journal (Columbus, Ohio), Aug. 5, 2019

Dry weather was causing yield loss in parts of Kentucky, according to Chad Lee, University of Kentucky extension agronomist. The Messenger (Madisonville, Ky.), Aug. 8, 2019

Low flows on the Skagit River meant turning off pumps when minimum flows were not met. A dairy farmer near Mount Vernon was only able to pump one day during a three-week period in July. Skagit Valley Herald (GoSkagit.com) (Wash.), Aug. 3, 2019

As flows on the Elwha River continued to dwindle, city officials in Port Angeles made a Stage 2 water shortage declaration. Water customers were asked to voluntarily conserve water. Port Angeles Peninsula Daily News (Wash.), Aug. 5, 2019

A burn ban not to exceed 90 days was issued in Williamson County by a county judge. Austin American-Statesman (Texas), Aug. 6, 2019