Drought

Grass stopped growing during the summer in Jackson County. To sustain the cattle, a farmer was using his corn as feed for the livestock and was hauling hundreds of gallons of water daily. The hay can be used to feed the cattle during the winter. Springs, wells and creeks in the county have gone dry, particularly in the northern part of Jackson County near Ripley and Evans. Farmers were buying bulk water for their livestock. The Northern Jackson County Public Service District in Sandyville has had a 116% increase in water sales this summer compared to summer 2023. Some cattle producers were selling their animals at the market in Fairplain because they don’t have hay or water for them. The lack of grass led a cattle producer to begin feeding hay in July. Deer were eating more crops than usual as drought reduced the normal supply of food and water. West Virginia Watch (Charleston, W.V.), Sept 27, 2024

Seneca County area soybean growers have had yields ranging from 25 bushels per acre up to 80 bpa. Many of the beans were from pods that had just two beans, flat pods or very small beans. A corn and soybean farmer in Preble County has seen soybean yields of 70 to 82 bpa. The beans are really dry, about 6% to 7% moisture. The corn harvest has not yet begun, but ears filled out completely and look good. Clark County has been very dry for about six weeks until the week of September 22. Prior to the rain, conditions were so dry that field fires and combine fires were a problem. The corn and soybean harvests were underway with the corn yields down about 10% and the soybean yield was down about 20%. Moisture levels were unusually low at 12% to 13% for corn and 7% to 9% for soybeans. Drought cost the farmer on yield and the dryness of the soybeans will cost him about $30 to $35 per acre. Corn and soybean harvests in Pickaway County were yielding 100 bpa, compared to a normal yield of 175 bpa or more, and 25 to 30 bpa, compared to 55 bpa or more, respectively. Just two inches of rain have fallen since planting. SF| Successful Farming (Des Moines, Iowa), Sept 25, 2024

The Highland County Board of Commissioners declared a State of Emergency due to drought. If state funds become available, the county must declare a state of emergency to be eligible. Hillsboro has about 70 days’ worth of water remaining. The valve to Highland County Water was opened on Monday, Sept. 23. Crop yields were down substantially. One farmer’s soybeans produced about half of normal. Some farmers have gotten even less. Some domestic and livestock wells have run dry. The Times-Gazette (Hillsboro, Ohio), Sept 25, 2024

Some boat owners in Ohio were warned to remove their boats from the water early as drought has lowered lake levels. The owner of a boat sales, service and storage facility has urged customers to take their vessels out of Tappan and Seneca lakes early. Some people with cottages and private docks at Leesville Lake have also been advised to remove their boats before the low water level leaves them stuck in the lake during winter. The Daily Jeff (Cambridge, Ohio), Sept 25, 2024

The 2024 growing season was good for many Texas pumpkin producers, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert and pumpkin farmers. Yields and quality were mostly better than in 2023. This year’s pumpkin yields were below average but were better than the previous year when output was down 20% to 40% on average due to drought. The dry weather and extreme heat left the pumpkins slightly smaller than average. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Sept 24, 2024

Derby remained in stage 2 drought restrictions since August 5 as Cheney Reservoir was low. The aim was to have customers conserve 10% of normal water use in August and September, but the public was very responsive to the call for water conservation and curbed their use by more than 40%. KWCH 12 (Wichita, Kan.), Sept 25, 2024 Water users in Derby have reduced their water consumption by 44% in the first two weeks of mandatory water restrictions. KWCH 12 (Wichita, Kansas), Aug 20, 2024

Officials in Edinburg issued a city ordinance to limit car washes to conserve water and encourage sustainability. Water levels in the Rio Grande Valley were at a historical low, prompting local leaders to declare emergency orders amid the ongoing drought. Brownsville issued a city ordinance in April restricting new car washes from being built within five miles of each other. ValleyCentral.com (Brownsville, Texas), Sept 24, 2024

Drought has killed trees, shrubs and other plants in Chattanooga due to insufficient water. Trees are turning color early in northeast Tennessee. Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tenn.), Sept 22, 2024

Pumpkins growers in southwest Ohio grew plenty of pumpkins, but they are smaller, due to drought. The pumpkins hold less water this year, so they will weigh less and cost less. WXIX-TV FOX 19 Cincinnati (Ohio), Sept 20, 2024

At least 11 West Virginia counties have issued burn bans, due to the drought and heightened fire danger. The sheriff’s office relies on citizens to notice violators and report fires. Fines can range from $100 to $1,200. WCHS-TV ABC 8 (Charleston, W.V.),Sept 24, 2024

A Hartselle farm opened for fall activities, but drought hindered the growth of the sugarcane for the maze, so they made a hay bale maze instead. The pumpkins did not grow well, so they borrowed some from nearby farms. WHNT News 19 (Huntsville, Ala.), Sept 21, 2024

The pumpkins at The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s historic home in Nashville, were growing, thanks to irrigation amid the drought. Then hungry deer came and devoured the pumpkins and corn. Officials with The Hermitage sought to buy pumpkins from elsewhere so they could still have a pumpkin carving event, but, finding none to purchase, the event was cancelled. Eventually, 100 pumpkins were donated so the event could go on. Similarly, the deer devastated the cotton crops in 2023. News Channel 5 Nashville (Tenn.), Sept 23, 2024

The Village of Middlefield passed a mandatory water conservation moratorium on Thursday, September 19 that allows water users to only use water for essential needs. Non-essential water uses like car washing, plant watering and swimming pool filling are not permitted. The LaDue Reservoir was getting very low. Cleveland 19 Online (Ohio), Sept 23, 2024

Apples were shriveling on the trees in a Fayette County orchard. A 17-acre wetland preserve has been dry for the past month. What would have been the deepest part of the wetland where the water was about five feet deep has cracks in the soil about six inches deep. Farmers’ Advance (Camden, Mich.), Sept 23, 2024

A pumpkin grower in Licking County got roughly 30% fewer pumpkins and they were smaller than usual. Dust was also more prevalent than usual in the field and on the paths. Sunflowers only grew to about three feet in height, although they usually get about twice that tall. WBNS 10 (Columbus, Ohio), Sept 23, 2024

A Tipp City golf course has not had to mow the greens everyday or cut the fairways three times per week as drought has slowed grass growth, which has saved money on labor. WKEF-TV NBC 22 Dayton (Ohio), Sept 22, 2024

Some local reservoirs were below seasonal averages, prompting officials in the city of Columbus to begin using supplemental water from a reserve source. Columbus was in the watch phase of its drought management plan. No voluntary or mandatory water restrictions were in effect, but could be enacted if needed. The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio), Sept 10, 2024

Buckeye Lake has become even more shallow than usual and was just four to six feet deep in most areas. The lack of rain has left the lake about 15 inches lower than it ought to be. The main part of the lake was still navigable, but the edges and many of the canals where boats dock were not passable. The low water levels were causing people to damage their props. Some have opted to end the boating season early and take their boats out of the lake. The lakefront restaurants and bars were seeing less business, and the marina was not selling as much gas or service. Spectrum 1 (Columbus, Ohio), Sept 20, 2024

Drought has dried out the wetlands at Eagle Marsh. Of the 15 ponds and marshes, 12 were completely dry so wildlife must travel elsewhere for water and habitat. In the past 15 years, the area has dried out three times, and this was the lowest it has gotten. WANE 15 (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Sept 19, 2024

At the Nevada Speedway, the pond for wetting down the dirt racetrack was nearly dry. They plan to dig the pond deeper. Due to the pond being low, this weekend’s race has been moved to Electric City Speedway in Butler where there was enough water to wet down the track. Fourstates Homepage (Joplin, Mo.), Sept 19, 2024