Drought

Cedar City residents can apply to participate in a program that would compensate them $1.50 per square foot for removing lawns and installing drought-resistant landscaping. St. George Spectrum (Utah), June 13, 2023

The Elizabethtown Area Water Authority on June 13 entered Stage I of its Drought Contingency Plan and asked customers to voluntarily reduce their water usage. WPMT FOX43 Online (Harrisburg, Pa.), June 13, 2023

Fires were banned in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness beginning June 14 as drought increased the fire risk. The Superior National Forest banned fires in the wilderness and limited all other fires, including campfires and charcoal grills, to designated developed areas with fire rings. Gas and propane stoves were allowed. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Louis, Cook, Carlton and Lake counties, and the Bois Forte, Grand Portage and Fond du Lac bands of Lake Superior Chippewa were also enacting campfire restrictions. Superior Telegram (Minn.), June 13, 2023

Lea County commissioners on June 8 banned sale and use of fireworks in unincorporated parts of the county due to extreme and severe drought conditions. Hobbs News-Sun (N.M.), June 13, 2023

The flow of the Potomac River fell below 2,000 cubic feet per second on Monday, June 12, triggering daily drought monitoring in the Washington D.C. area. The stream flow is monitored with a US Geological Survey gauge at Point of Rocks, Maryland. There is a higher than normal chance that water may need to be released into the Potomac from upstream reservoirs later this year, according to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. WRC-TV NBC 4 Washington D.C., June 13, 2023

Corpus Christi remained in Stage 1 restrictions, which originally took effect June 14, 2022. The chief operations officer for Corpus Christi Water stated that without any significant rain, the combined lake levels would fall to 35% of capacity by late May or early June, and to 30% of capacity sometime in July. KRISTV NBC 6 Corpus Christi (Texas), March 28, 2023

Pumpkins on a Duluth farm were not growing amid drought conditions in the area, but remained alive. Annuals were struggling in the drought. WDIO News (Duluth, Minn.), June 8, 2023

The Wilderness Trail Fire began on June 3 when a campfire escaped and burned 2,400 acres. WJR-AM (Detroit, Mich.), June 5, 2023

Drought during the fall of 2022 plus spring drought resulted in very, very small strawberries. WRTV-TV ABC 6 Indianapolis, (Ind.), June 8, 2023

The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District encourages people statewide to conserve water due to persistent drought conditions. The advisory is expected to remain in effect all summer. Water is low in the Papio-Missouri district and also in the Lower Platte area. Omaha is 13.39 inches below average on rainfall for 2023, per the National Weather Service. WOWT TV 6 (Omaha, Neb.), June 8, 2023

May was one of the driest ever in Berks County. Consequently, the Reading Area Water Authority was striving to conserve water and has asked the public to curb their water use. The hydrants were scheduled to be flushed, but that has been delayed at least two weeks. WFMZ 69 News Online (Allentown, Pa.), June 8, 2023

Wentzville issued a voluntary Water Conservation Declaration on June 5 due to dry conditions and a big uptick in lawn watering. The declaration will remain in effect through Sept. 5 if conditions stay dry. St. Louis Public Radio KWMU (St. Louis, Mo.), June 8, 2023

Missouri’s Drought Assessment Committee met on June 7 and discussed a number of ways to help farmers, including bulk water purchases and expansion of livestock grazing areas. St. Louis Public Radio KWMU (St. Louis, Mo.), June 8, 2023

Most of Kentucky has not received good rainfall in more than two weeks. If rain were to fall soon, corn yield losses could be minimal. Wheat was being dried down in the field amid the dry conditions, which can lower input costs. The dry weather was good for cutting hay, but now farmers fear that drought will hurt grass-hay production. Pastures on shallow soils were turning brown. Morning Ag Clips (Greenwich, N.Y.), June 8, 2023

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is not issuing any burn permits and has banned burning debris in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula due to the red flag warning. East Lansing and Battle Creek issued burn bans after the fire near Grayling last weekend. Other cities with burn bans include Saginaw, Mason, Dewitt and Bay City. Bridge Michigan (Ypsilanti, Mich.), June 8, 2023

A 30-day burn ban took effect in York County on June 5 as the area remained dry. Stream and groundwater levels were at record lows. York Daily Record (Pa.), June 5, 2023

Drought kept strawberries grown on a farm in Minonk from getting bigger than the size of a dime, stated the grower, who will not even bother picking the berries this year. A beekeeper who brings honey to sell at the Morton Farmers Market worries that the dry conditions will mean less honey. WEEK (East Peoria, Ill.), June 6, 2023

The Village of Ceresco announced via Facebook that it would be enforcing mandatory water restrictions starting June 1. A local aquifer was at 65% of capacity and the Platte River was flowing at its lowest level since 1956, per a press release from the director of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities. Voluntary water conservation was encouraged in the neighboring communities of Waverly and Lincoln. Wahoo Newspaper (Neb.), June 7, 2023

Corn leaves in Knox County were starting to roll from drought stress. Some research suggests that some yield loss could occur when leaves are rolling for about four consecutive days or more. Soybeans were stressed from the lack of rain also. WTHI TV 10 (Terre Haute, Ind.), June 7, 2023

Grass was growing more slowly in Peoria so lawn care companies were mowing less frequently. WEEK (East Peoria, Ill.), June 7, 2023