Drought

A farmer in Wake County, North Carolina, lost his broccoli, cabbage, and tomato crops to drought this year. He notes that corn and soybean in his area have suffered drought impacts. NBC17 (North Carolina), July 19, 2024.

The Clallam County Public Utility District No. 1 has implemented drought responses for three of its water systems. Stage 3 response (limits outdoor water use to certain days and prohibits vehicle washing) was imposed on the Island View Water System. Stage 2 response (request for voluntary conservation measures) was imposed on the Fairview and the Clallam Bay/Sekiu water systems. Peninsula Daily News (Washington), July 17, 2024.

Iredell Water has implemented Stage Two Mandatory Water Shortage Condition restrictions due to ongoing severe and moderate drought conditions in Iredell County. Restrictions apply to lawn and landscape irrigation. Queen City News (NC), July 18, 2024.

Low water levels and high temperatures led to several hoot-owl restrictions in Montana taking effect July 12, 2024. Affected rivers included the Big Hole River, Smith River, East Gallatin River, Gallatin River, Madison River, Clark Fork River, Bitterroot River, Blackfoot River. Clark Fork Valley Press (Montana), July 18, 2024.

Arkansas rice farmers are saving up to 40% of their normal irrigation water using zero-grade farming. The practice involves using level ground to hold water longer than sloped land would. It can be costly to convert fields to zero-grade, among other barriers to adopting this practice. Arkansas Times (AR), July 17, 2024.

Invasive zebra mussels have declined in Lake Travis due to low water levels caused by drought. KXAN (Texas), July 18, 2024.

Drought-induced dryness has left Hawaii Volcanoes National Park vulnerable to fires, leading rangers to close some roads in the park. Fox Weather (NY), July 18. 2024.

Due to ongoing drought, farmers in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle are hand-watering crops in places where irrigation is not possible. Many of their fields are not normally irrigated. MetroNews (West Virginia), July 18, 2024.

Years of drought and fires have benefitted California's fig orchards, according to the California Fresh Fig Growers Association. The 2024 season is starting early and may be one of the best California has seen. PRNewswire (New York), July 18, 2024.

The town of Round Hill, Virginia, has voted to impose mandatory water use restrictions in response to extreme drought conditions. The restrictions will prohibit most outdoor water use. Loudoun Now (Virginia), July 18, 2024.

Drought-weakened trees are falling in the DC area. NBC Washington (District of Columbia), July 18, 2024.

Water restrictions were implemented in the town of Strasburg due to a drought emergency declared by the town. Daily News-Record (Virginia), July 18, 2024.

A farmer in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, states that he has lost at least $50,000 in production due to drought this year. He says that there is very little irrigation in the area so local farmers are dependent on rainfall. WJAC6 (Johnstown, Pennsylvania), July 16, 2024.

Over 30 percent of pasture across the Southeast is rated as poor or very poor by the latest USDA-NASS reports. In Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, over 40 percent of pasture is rated as poor or very poor. Poor or very poor pasture is found in Tennessee at 37 percent, Kentucky at 19 percent, Mississippi at 18 percent, Arkansas at 16 percent, Alabama at 14 percent, Florida at 4 percent, and Louisiana at 3 percent. Beef Magazine (Saint Charles, Illinois), July 17, 2024.

Stage 2 (moderate) water restrictions have been enacted in Boyd due to increased demand for water the past few weeks. Since June 1, the City of Boyd has purchased an additional five million gallons of water to supplement their normal supply. Restrictions apply to sprinklers and automatic irrigation systems. Wise County Messenger (Texas), July 17, 2024.

Water restrictions have been issued in the City of Statesville, North Carolina, in response to Stage D2 Severe Drought conditions, as determined by the N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council. Restrictions apply to lawn watering, tree and bed irrigation, golf courses, athletic fields, vehicle washing, and washing of roads, sidewalks, and public buildings. Iredell Free News (Statesville, N.C.), July 16, 2024.

Some of the ears of corn in Columbus County were about the size of a man’s finger after the rain stopped in June, leaving the corn stalks to turn burnt gold. Some of the soybeans and peanuts have also “baked in the dirt” just like the corn. The pasture was not growing in the dry heat, so a farmer had to buy feed for his cattle. The farmers find the loss of the crops very painful and discouraging as well as a tremendous financial strain. “It’s all so personal,” a farmer said. “You take the time, you prepare the soil, you do all these things to try to protect it. Then something totally not under your control comes through and takes all that away.” Border Belt Independent (Elizabethtown, N.C.), July 12, 2024

Tennessee is facing its worst drought in years and the Beardsley Community Farm is feeling the impact. “It feels like things just get crispier and crispier every week,” farm manager Lia Bevins said. But the heat is now hurting their output by about 95%. “This week last year, we were harvesting around 1,000 pounds of tomatoes every week,” Bevins said. “But this year, at least this week, its been less than about 50 pounds.” The farm supplies produce to food pantries in the area and they have not been able to with the drought. “A lot of the numbers are lower than they would have been, and so each of those pantries are depending on that produce and it’s just not able to make it out to those communities in as high of numbers as it would have in the past,” she said. However, food is not the only thing taking a hit. Owner of St. John Lawn Care said that mowing is 60% of his revenue, and now the money is drying up. The grass is not growing, causing a dip in business. “Normally every week it needs to be cut but this time, you show up and it’s the exact same height as it was last Friday,” he said. But the company has plans to combat the issue. “We’re having to switch the kinds of services we’re offering,” St. John said. “Pulling out bushes, trimming bushes, pulling out weeds, mulch, its a great time of year to do that.” WVLT8 (Knoxville, TN), 7/12/24.

Wilkes is among 22 North Carolina counties categorized as being in “severe drought” in the U.S. Drought Monitor report issued July 9. Severe drought is the third worst of five levels of drought. Early this week, weather forecasts called for a period of more than a week with more than a 50% chance of rain each day to start on Thursday. Otherwise, the U.S. Drought Monitor recommends the following for a “severe drought:” • implement Water Shortage Response Plans, if not already enacted; • stay informed on drought conditions and advisories at ncdrought.org; • participate, as appropriate, in regional and local coordination for the management of water resources; reexamine water delivery systems to minimize water loss and maximize water use efficiency; • eliminate nonessential uses of water; • evaluate the feasibility of incorporating water reuse, reclamation and/or recycling into daily operations; • seek to reduce water usage by, at least, the same percentage as the percent differential between normal seasonal water supply availability and the actual water supply availability resulting from current drought conditions; • increase public awareness and educational outreach programs emphasizing the need to conserve water. Wilkes Journal Patriot (Wilkesboro, NC), 7/15/24.

The sunflowers at a farm in Ooltewah were shorter than they ought to be and will not grow any taller with rain. The flowers bloomed a week to ten days earlier than usual and may not produce as many seeds as usual due to the drought. There will be less food for the blackbirds, sparrows, crows, and sand hill cranes that enjoy the seeds during the winter. Local 3 News (Chattanooga, Tenn.), July 12, 2024