Drought

Years of drought hurt sugar production in the Rio Grande Valley, prompting the board of directors of the Rio Grande Sugar Growers co-op to close the mill permanently. Mexico has not given the water that they were obligated to provide under the 1944 treaty, which is 350,000 acre-feet per year on average. A Dec. 5 deadline came and went, and it became clear that the water would not be there for the sugar growers. The 90 sugar growers will be affected by the lack of water, and so will the more than 500 employees that work for the mill, doing a variety of jobs, such as drivers of trucks, tractors and harvesters. There are also 150 full time mill employees that are administrative staff and operate the mill. Employees will be employed through April 29 and will receive all of their pay and vacation pay. Texas Standard (Austin), Feb 26, 2024

Meteorologists were warning that drought conditions in West Central Texas may intensify this spring and summer due to ongoing lack of rain and heat. West Texas authorities urged water conservation in preparation for the potential worsening of drought. San Angelo Live (Texas), Feb 21, 2024

Persistent drought conditions in Iowa continue to worry farmers as the start of the growing season neared, but crop yields last year were better than some farmers dared to hope. Brownfield Ag News (Jefferson City, Mo.), Feb 22, 2024

Fresno County farmers said that vegetation growth was behind as precipitation amounts were below normal. KFSN ABC 30 Action News (Fresno, Calif.), Feb 21, 2024

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality lifted drought watch advisories for nine counties in the Big Sandy region, which encompasses the counties of Lee, Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Scott, Russell, Tazewell, Washington and Smyth. WRIC-TV (Richmond, Va.), Feb 23, 2024 The drought advisory was lifted for 13 Virginia counties by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The counties that emerged from the drought advisory were in the Shenandoah region, covering Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren, and Clarke counties, and the Upper James region, encompassing Craig, Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Botetourt, and Rockbridge counties. A drought watch advisory remained in effect for the Big Sandy area, covering Lee, Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Scott, Russell, Tazewell, Washington, and Smyth counties. WRIC-TV (Richmond, Va.), Feb 13, 2024 The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality downgraded drought warning advisories to drought watches for seven counties in the Shenandoah region. The seven counties are Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren, and Clarke. Twenty-two counties remained in a drought watch advisory. Precipitation has been above average for much of the Commonwealth in the past month. WRIC-TV 8 News (Richmond, Va.), Feb 1, 2024 The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, in coordination with the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, lifted the drought watch advisory for 49 counties. A drought watch advisory remained for 15 counties in the Upper James and Big Sandy regions, while seven counties in the Shenandoah region were still in a drought warning advisory. Staunton News Leader (Va.), Jan 19, 2024 Nine counties in Virginia were added to the list of counties in a drought watch advisory, which encompasses 64 counties altogether. Since the beginning of the current water year, Oct. 1, area-averaged rainfall was still below long-term normal values for most of Virginia. Seven counties in the Shenandoah Valley remain in a drought warning advisory. WCAV-TV CBS19 (Charlottesville, Va.), Dec 11, 2023 The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force reassessed conditions and expanded the Drought Watch Advisory covering 55 counties as stream flows and groundwater levels were below the 25th percentile of normal values. Seven counties in the Shenandoah Valley were under a Drought Warning Advisory. Only Southwest Virginia, the Middle Peninsula and Tidewater were not under a drought advisory. Recent rainfall has eased the dryness, but was not adequate to end rainfall deficits, improve soil moisture levels, streamflow and groundwater levels. The drought warning advisory covered the counties of Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren and Clarke. The drought watch advisory covered the counties of Amherst, Lynchburg, Nelson, Albemarle, Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Prince Edward, Cumberland, Goochland, Amelia, Powhatan, Chesterfield, Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Henrico, Hanover, Greene, Madison, Rappahannock, Orange, Culpeper, Louisa, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Patrick, Franklin, Roanoke, Henry, Bedford, Pittsylvania, Campbell, Halifax, Charlotte, Mecklenburg, Craig, Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Botetourt, and Rockbridge. Counties that were already in a drought watch advisory and remain in that status were Accomack, Northampton, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, Fairfax, Hampton, Newport News, James City, York, Charles City, and New Kent. WCAV-TV (Charlottesville, Va.), Nov 27, 2023

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission warned that anyone planning to launch boats in Nebraska should beware of low-water levels. Boaters should take care when launching and loading boats. KOLN TV 10 (Lincoln, Neb.), Feb 23, 2024

Trees in Fergus Falls were stressed due to drought. Needle blight can affect evergreens during drought. Snow typically covers and protects tree roots, which are shallow and sensitive to cold temperatures, but snow has been below normal this winter. Fergus Falls Daily Journal (Minn.), Feb 22, 2024

The Lower Colorado River Authority unanimously adopted a resolution that would permit customers to water outdoors only once per week while water storage in both Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan combined remain at less than 1.1 million acre-feet of water. The new rule, which will take effect on May 1, was needed as drought worsened, water use was high due to the increasing population in the Hill Country and lake levels were low. The combined water storage in Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan was 842,342 acre-feet on Feb. 1, which was nearly 200,000 acre-feet lower than one year ago. KVUE News Online (Austin, Texas), Feb 22, 2024

The Missouri Senate is considering a bill that would prohibit anyone from exporting water outside of the state without a permit. Missouri Net (Jefferson City, Mo.), Feb 22, 2024

Governor Jeff Landry wrote to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, seeking federal aid to deal with drought damage to Louisiana’s crawfish industry. The harsh drought conditions of 2023 and freezing temperatures at the start of 2024 have crawfish farmers in crisis. FOX 8 (New Orleans, La.), Feb 21, 2024

Drought caused the soil in Jefferson Parish to contract last summer, and the return of rain has allowed it to expand again. All of the soil movement, combined with the age of the pipes, has led to many water mains and sewer lines breaking underground. WWL-TV (New Orleans, La.), Feb 21, 2024

Lawns look rough in New Orleans, but they may begin showing signs of recovery in March as they emerge from dormancy. NOLA.com (New Orleans, La.), Feb 21, 2024

Winter pasture growth in East Texas improved with recent moisture and warmer temperatures. Heavy rains continued to fall in some areas. Anderson County reported pastures were too wet to work for the most part. Pasture and rangeland conditions were fair to poor. Subsoil and topsoil conditions were adequate. Ponds and creeks were full, with some running over the spillway. Cattle prices were high; some areas had low numbers due to rain. Hay supplies remained tight. Livestock were in fair to good condition, with supplementation taking place. Wild pig activity continued to increase. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 21, 2024

Some businesses in northern Wisconsin received below normal snowfall this winter and may qualify for a federal disaster loan after the mild winter brought less snow than usual. The lack of snow has affected travel and recreation businesses that depend on it for activities such as downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. WBAY TV (Green Bay, Wis.), Feb 20, 2024

Drought during the 2023 summer was responsible for the high cost of beef. The cost of purchasing meat for a barbeque restaurant in Tyler has increased 45 to 65 percent. KYTX CBS19 (Tyler, Texas), Feb 20, 2024

Recent rainfall has allowed dryness to ease in the Tampa area, but forestry workers were still warning people to be careful with fire. WTSP 10 Tampa Bay (Fla.), Feb 20, 2024

Some wells have gone dry in Terre Haute, leaving other area well users anxious about their water supplies. People were using water very judiciously, trying to keep showers short and not wash too many loads of laundry through the fall. An area well driller said that he has been inundated with telephone calls from homeowners needing to have their wells made deeper or redrilled. The water table was low because rain has been relatively scarce. WTHI-TV 10 (Terre Haute, Ind.), Feb 20, 2024

The unseasonably dry weather in eastern Iowa prompted firefighters to warn the public against burning brush. The above normal temperatures and abundance of dry vegetation contributed to the unfavorable conditions for burning. No Iowa counties had an official burn ban, but burning was still unwise. KCRG (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Feb 20, 2024

Dry weather continued with no significant rainfall expected and near-normal temperatures anticipated in the upcoming week. Most pastures were still in winter dormancy, but cool-season grasses and forbs were thriving. Overgrazed pastures were filled with annual winter forbs, including bluebonnets and wild mint. Conditions were expected to remain ideal for early spring planting for the rest of February. Oats and wheat looked good to excellent, and livestock markets held high to steady. Corn planting was set to start soon, and producers continued supplemental feeding their livestock and wildlife. Landowners were preparing to seed pastures. Rivers and creeks were noticeably elevated but not enough to fill dry creeks. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 21, 2024 Moisture conditions persist in some parts of Southwest Texas, thanks to ongoing rainfall. The rain has maintained favorable pasture and rangeland conditions, ensuring the well-being of livestock. The fall and winter rains have been crucial in sustaining producers’ operations for the past few months. With good soil moisture, livestock feeding activities were ongoing. However, despite the green appearance of pastures, they remain short. Producers began preparing their fields for spring planting, and the outlook for wheat and oats was positive. Nighttime temperatures were cold, while daytime highs reached the mid-70s. Producers faced challenges as they diligently searched for and paid more for hay. Producers were urged to stay vigilant and make strategic decisions in light of the weather conditions to ensure the sustainability of their operations. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 6, 2024

Rain fell across multiple counties in Southeast Texas, and warmer temperatures spurred ryegrass and clover growth. Moisture was good in the pastures, and producers started spraying fields and preparing for spring. Current rainfall replenished stock tanks and ponds. Rangeland and pasture ratings varied from excellent to poor. Livestock appeared to be in good body condition, and markets remained strong. Cattle held good condition as producers continued heavy supplemental feeding for their herds. Local markets opened with a need for all classes of calves and yearlings. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 21, 2024 The arctic blast swept across Southeast Texas, delaying the production of winter pastures. Producers continued supplemental and hay feeding and busting ice to ensure access to water for their cattle herds. Surface water was extremely low and affected the production of crawfish producers. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Jan 23, 2024