Drought

Whole fields of corn in severe drought in central and eastern Missouri did not pollinate, due to drought. A grower in Randolph County reported that his corn had received just a few inches of rain all year. While the corn may look lush and green, the ears may have a few kernels, but mostly did not pollinate. The lack of pollination was widespread in the Randolph County area, according to the farmer. AgWeb (Mexico, Mo.), Aug 7, 2023

Just two inches of rain have fallen on a Buffalo County farm since early June. The dryland corn was being swathed and baled. Sixteen of his 17 ponds have gone dry, forcing him to haul water for his cattle as the windmills could not keep pace. KETV Newswatch 7 (Omaha, Neb.), July 27, 2023

Drought in the Chicago area since late May has caused some trees to drop their leaves earlier than usual. The region's trees have also been stressed by less than ideal weather for the past decade or more. Tulip trees and river birches have been sensitive to the dearth of rain. Arlington Heights Daily Herald (Ill.), Aug 1, 2023

Corn leaves were rolling and soybean leaves were flipping in parts of northwest Iowa with lighter soils. Storm Lake Times Pilot (Iowa), Aug 4, 2023

Drought and heat in the Ozarks have cut into hay production, leaving the region seriously short of hay. The farm service office in Bolivar was working with farmers to help them buy hay. Many farmers have had to take second jobs. KY3 (Springfield, Mo.), July 30, 2023

Wisconsin crops have already sustained damage and will not recover from drought. some corn did not pollinate well. A Sauk County farmer was letting pasture rest longer because grass was not growing back and turned brown. WiscNews (Madison, Wis.), Aug. 4, 2023

Much of Northwest Montana will be under Stage 2 fire restrictions starting on Saturday, Aug. 5. The affected federal, state and private jurisdictions in stage 2 restrictions were Flathead National Forest, including Hungry Horse, Glacier View; Swan Lake, Spotted Bear and Tally Ranger Districts to include the Great Bear Wilderness, Mission Mountain Wilderness, and the Flathead National Forest portion of the Bob Marshall Wilderness; Kootenai National Forest, including Rexford, Fortine, Three Rivers, Libby and Cabinet Ranger Districts; Glacier National Park; US Fish & Wildlife Service; Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, including Kalispell, Libby, Stillwater, Swan and Plains Units; Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Region 1 within Flathead County, Lake County, Lincoln County, Sanders County; Flathead County – Stage 2 fire restrictions; Lake County – Stage 2 fire restrictions; Lincoln County – Stage 2 fire restrictions; Sanders County– Stage 2 fire restrictions; Green Diamond was not allowing campfires on their lands; Flathead Ridge Ranch prohibited campfires on their lands; Southern Pine Plantation of Montana was not allowing campfires; Stimson Private Timber Company was not allowing campfires on their lands; and Stoltze Timber Company was not allowing campfires on their lands. On Aug. 7, Stoltze will close their land to public access of any kind. KPAX (Missoula, Mont.), Aug 3, 2023

St. Landry Parish authorities issued a burn ban in the parish effective immediately with the aim of reducing the number of grass fires occurring. The ban will remain in effect until further notice. KLFY News 10 (Lafayette, La.), Aug 4, 2023

Mandatory, nonessential water restrictions remained in place in Avoca and other towns in Pottawattamie County and the surrounding area since the end of May. Due to the high water demand, the Regional Rural Water Association’s water treatment plant has been running nonstop for the past 18 days without a moment of downtime for maintenance because people would run out of water if the plant were shut down. WOWT TV 6 (Omaha, Neb.), Aug 2, 2023

The Ogallala Aquifer beneath West Texas was being drawn down at a quick rate, due to drought and heat. Conservation was needed to protect the aquifer. KCBD (Lubbock, Texas), Aug 2, 2023

A burn ban was in effect for St. Tammany Parish for the next 14 days as extreme heat and drought increased the fire danger. WWL-TV (New Orleans, La.), Aug 3, 2023

Des Moines Water Works employees raised the flashboards on the Raccoon River for the third consecutive year to increase the amount of water it can access as the river was 83% below its normal levels. The public is asked to voluntarily adhere to a watering schedule, based on one’s address. Des Moines Register (Iowa), Aug 2, 2023

There were more reports of illness and death in cows and small ruminants that may have ingested perilla mint during drought, according to University of Missouri Extension specialists. Perilla mint, a toxic summer annual, is also known as rattlesnake weed, purple mint and beefsteak plant. Three Rivers Publishing, Inc. (Cuba, Mo.), Aug 2, 2023

Thrips, tiny insects with fringed wings that thrive amid drought, consumed the first third of the strawberry crop in Iowa City in the east central part of the state. Wildlife has had less natural food available to them in the wild and have taken to searching for food and water on farms, gardens and urban areas. The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), July 31, 2023

You-pick farms across Iowa have seen decreased yields, smaller produce and fewer customers. In Nevada in central Iowa, only about half of the strawberry crops at a berry farm survived the past two years of drought. The farmer irrigates, but could not keep up with water demand. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources restricted his well water usage from 20 acres a day to 1 acre a day. The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), July 31, 2023

A blueberry grower in Brighton did not have enough well water to irrigate her berries this summer after heat and drought during the 2022 summer caused water production to falter. The farmer had to cancel a day of picking appointments because there were not enough ripe berries. The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), July 31, 2023

Heat, dry weather and increased water use in Emporia have contributed to the uptick in water main breaks. KVOE (Emporia, Kan.), Aug 1, 2023

The Brazos River Authority and the Bell County Water Control & Improvement District No. 1 on Aug. 1, 2023, issued a Stage 2 Drought Warning for all communities that draw water from Lake Belton. Water customers in Killeen, Harker Heights, Belton, Copperas Cove, and others were asked to curb water use by 10%. Most Bell County towns have been conserving water since August 2022. Lake Belton was just over 578 feet, which was more than 15 feet below full pool level. KWKT FOX 44 News (Waco, Texas), Aug 1, 2023

Residents of Wrangell were urged to voluntarily conserve water as July precipitation was about 70% of normal. Water consumption has also been higher than usual, which, combined with the low rainfall, has pushed the community nearer to mandatory water restrictions. As of Monday, July 24, a little more than two months’ worth of water were stored in the two reservoirs. KSTK-FM 101.7 Public Radio (Wrangell, Alaska), July 26, 2023

Conditions remained hot and dry in Southeast Texas. Soil moisture levels were very short to adequate. There were isolated pockets of rainfall with up to 2 inches reported. More rice began to head and fields were still two to four weeks out before farmers start harvesting. Heat was taking a toll on all crops. Rice quality was a concern. Corn harvest was expected to begin soon. Cotton was aborting bolls due to heat stress. Rangeland and pasture ratings were excellent to very poor. Pastures were burning up, and ponds were beginning to dry up quickly. Hay was being cut and baled, but some producers were grazing pastures due to poor hay production progress. First hay cuttings were excellent while second cuttings were fair to poor. Cattle prices continued to hold steady and even rise in some classes. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), July 18, 2023