Drought

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on May 13 requested more federal assistance for wildfire response to the blazes burning in the northern part of the state. The needed response exceeds the state’s capabilities, and the federal government should pay all of the firefighting costs because one of the two fires that merged was sparked by embers blown from a prescribed burn in the Santa Fe National Forest, according to the governor. The merged fires have charred 437 miles and at least 473 structures in the five weeks that they have burned. Another fire near Los Alamos has burned 71 square miles and was 23% contained. More than 2,000 square miles have burned nationwide already in 2022. Associated Press News (New York), May 14, 2022

Hay production was low in Montana in 2021 and is not looking good for 2022. The surface of the soil is very dry, and moisture below only extends down six to eight inches. A business owner who purchases more than 100 tons of hay annually stated that hay had been selling for $150 to $175 per ton, but has risen to $400 per ton. KBZK-TV Bozeman 7 (Mont.), May 15, 2022

The California drought means low snowpack and less water. In the Sacramento Valley, it is expected that rice acreage will be halved, leaving at least 250,000 acres fallow for lack of water. Migratory birds stop in rice fields along the Pacific Flyway in the fall, finding critical food and habitat on their long journeys. The rice fields are very important since California has lost 95% of its historic wetland habitat since the Gold Rush. But this year, there will be far less rice and water available for hungry, fatigued birds. With the birds concentrated in a smaller area, disease can spread more easily also. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.), May 15, 2022

Weber Basin Water Conservancy District has just 15% of its average water for the year. The Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of the Interior, Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy, Provo River Water Users, Jordan Valley Water and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District are working together to make more water available. KSL.com (Salt Lake City, Utah), May 6, 2022

Cal Water is entering stage two of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan within the Chico district. A request has been submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission to allow it to enter the second phase. Once approved, the new restrictions will go into effect. Chico Enterprise-Record (Calif.), April 28, 2022

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers must limit lawn watering to two days per week. Since the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California declared a water shortage emergency in April, water use must be curbed because the district has less water. The aim is to achieve at least a 35% reduction in water consumption, hopefully trimming usage to about 80 gallons per person per day. KTLA-TV WB 5 Los Angeles (Calif.), May 10, 2022

One month into Stage 2 water restrictions in San Antonio and more people are complaining about seeing neighbors wasting water. Water rule violators can be fined $120 for a first violation. Residents are urged to report the violations anonymously via saws.org. People may not want to confront a neighbor about perceived water waste unless they are on good terms with the neighbor as the interaction may end badly. Texas Public Radio (San Antonio, Texas), May 12, 2022

Most of the South Plains were extremely dry. Many irrigated cotton farmers were cutting back on the number of planted acres with a majority reporting they planned to irrigate 60%-70% of the acres they irrigated last year. Many producers were selling off cattle due to the lack of grazing and higher cattle prices. Most cattle were being supplementally fed, with a few herds grazing irrigated oats or leftover winter wheat. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), May 10, 2022 Extreme dry conditions continued across the South Plains. Farmers were holding off on major planting decisions until their fields received good moisture. Many cattle producers were making tough decisions on thinning down their herds due to a lack of grazing. Local sale barns were receiving larger volumes of cattle than normal each week. Cattle continued to receive supplemental feed. Some counties were battling wildfires popping up here and there, with continued high heat and heavy winds. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 26, 2022

Some Rolling Plains cotton farmers were concerned about damaging farm equipment while getting seed into the dry ground. Some wheat hay was baled with about half a bale per acre reported. Some wheat was harvested, but the majority of harvestable wheat was lower quality, with the exception of some wheat in the bottom fields. Overall wheat yields were expected to be low. Sorghum planting in some areas was about a month later than normal. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), May 10, 2022 Some counties across the district reported 0.5-3 inches of rainfall, other counties remained extremely dry and reported high winds. Around 2,300 acres were burned in several fires. Spring work continued, and cattle producers were considering deep culls as supplemental feeding was becoming counterproductive and overgrazing was becoming a concern. Producers were reporting poor to fair body conditions in cattle. Dry, windy conditions were preventing fieldwork. Dryland wheat was 100% headed as dry weather caused early maturation. Producers were reporting thin wheat stands and small grain heads. Some wheat was being baled for hay. About half of sorghum acres were planted, but some producers were still waiting for rainfall to plant. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 26, 2022 Conditions were hot and windy in the Rolling Plains with no moisture. Winter wheat was showing signs of growth, and some fields were in the boot stage or heading, but other fields were being plowed under. Row crop preparations were delayed by dry conditions. Cattle were grazing some late wheat growth. Forage inventories were declining, but supplemental feeding continued, and rangelands were showing very little growth. Ranchers were culling herds due to lack of forage and rising supplemental feed costs. Fire concerns remained due to dry conditions. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 19, 2022 Some parts of the Rolling Plains received 0.7 to 3 inches of rain. Several areas reported continued drought conditions, and drier areas remained on fire watch. Some counties were lifting burn bans. Wheat conditions improved, but fields need more rain. Some wheat fields were total losses. Rainfall runoff replenished stock tanks. High winds were drying out soils. Cattle were being supplemented with hay and feed. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 12, 2022 Scattered rain in the Rolling Plains delivered rainfall amounts up to 0.6 of an inch. Winter wheat conditions were still very poor. Some green-up in pastures helped wildlife and livestock on pasture. Cotton farmers needed to list and plow, but dry conditions were delaying fieldwork. Corn and sorghum planting was behind due to lack of moisture. Some wheat fields perked up a little following rain. Stock ponds needed a runoff rainfall event to refill. Cattle were being fed hay and supplemental feed. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 5, 2022 Rolling Plains pastures remained in poor condition. Cattle were provided supplemental feed, and few native grasses were available for grazing. Ponds were drying up. Several wildfires were reported. Up to an inch of rain fell in parts of the district, which should help rangeland and wheat. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 29, 2022 Conditions were dry and windy in the Rolling Plains. Pastures and winter wheat fields looked bad. Producers were not top-dressing with fertilizer due to the cost and bad crop conditions. Hay supplies and fire danger were major concerns. Most wheat fields were in poor conditions, but some were able to be grazed, and deer were still a problem for the few that were producing. Wind erosion was becoming a problem. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 22, 2022 Conditions were very dry in the Rolling Plains. A fire burned 566 acres. Wheat looked poor and needed some moisture. Supplemental feeding continued for cattle due to very little wheat for grazing. More rain will be needed for cotton planting. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 15, 2022 Conditions were very dry in the Rolling Plains. A fire last week consumed 818 acres of grazing land. Most wheat was being grazed out. The soil profile received some moisture from an ice storm, which allowed some wheat to green up, but there were still several dead patches in fields. Most wheat was in poor to very poor condition. Heavy supplemental feeding continued for cattle on rangelands. Forage inventories continued to decline. Row crop tillage delays continued due to lack of moisture for proper tillage. Some producers spread fertilizer with chances of rain in the forecast, but moisture did not materialize. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 8, 2022 Many Rolling Plains wheat fields have not emerged yet, but moisture from a recent cold front ought to help the wheat a little. AgriLife (College Station, Texas), March 2, 2022 Some parts of the Rolling Plains received one-half to one inch of rain, to which the wheat responded with slightly better color, but the crop remained in mostly very poor condition. Pasture conditions did not improve, and the supplemental feeding of livestock continued. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 24, 2022

Unseasonably hot weather with strong winds in the Coastal Bend continued to deplete topsoil moisture. All field crops needed moisture. A considerable amount of cotton failed, but it was too early to know the full extent. Rangeland and pasture conditions worsened, and livestock conditions declined. Producers began to decrease their herds and pulled calves ahead of schedule. Hay supplies were getting low, and supplemental feeding was still necessary. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), May 10, 2022 Moderate to severe drought and windy conditions continued in the Coastal Bend. Corn and grain sorghum were stressed but looked fair. Most soybean acres were planted, except fields with insufficient moisture. If some areas do not receive rain in the next seven to 10 days, crop failures were expected. Rangeland and pasture conditions were declining. Hay fields were not growing due to lack of moisture. Some livestock producers were culling and reducing stocking rates. Livestock were being fed supplements and hay. Higher cattle sale volumes could begin if rain does not materialize soon. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 26, 2022 Dry, windy conditions continued in the Coastal Bend, and soil moisture levels continued to decline. Corn was showing early signs of drought stress. Some sorghum plantings were emerging inconsistently, and thin stands were a concern. Cotton was coming up, but a lot of acres were planted dry. Pastures and rangelands continued to decline. Livestock were running short on available grazing. Most cattle producers were feeding hay and protein. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 19, 2022 Soil moisture conditions continued to be dry due to a lack of rain and high winds. Cotton was still being planted, and some fields had emerged where planted in moisture. Most field crops were beginning to show stress, especially in lighter soils. Pasture conditions were dry, and the available forage was poor quality. Livestock were still being fed hay and protein supplements as needed. Cattle were in fair to good condition, but were losing condition daily from lack of forage, especially the spring calves. Many producers were pulling fall calves earlier than normal due to declining conditions. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 12, 2022 The Coastal Bend was experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions. Some farmers were still delaying plantings, waiting on rainfall to build soil moisture. Most corn and sorghum had emerged and were doing well, but fields needed moisture. Most rangeland and pastures were in poor condition, but there were a few areas with good enough grazing to maintain livestock body conditions. Cattle producers were culling poor performers and open cows, and the livestock market was still good. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 5, 2022 High winds in the Coastal Bend coupled with low humidity continued to create a fire threat. Corn and most grain sorghum emerged but needed rain. Pastures were starting to green up in areas that received rain, but there was still not much growth. Livestock body conditions were declining, especially for cows with calves. Producers continued to supplement herds with protein and hay. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 29, 2022 Most areas had not received measurable rain in 45 days, but northern parts of the reporting area received a small amount of rain this past week. Crop planting was still in high gear despite dry conditions. Corn and sorghum were also being planted with some fields already emerged, but they needed moisture. Livestock pasture forages were getting short, and hay and protein feeding continued. Cattle remained in good condition with sale prices at very high levels. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 22, 2022 No significant rains were reported, and soil moisture levels were unseasonably low. Pastures and fields needed rain. Cold temperatures and dry conditions continued to delay the emergence of warm season grasses. Livestock producers were still feeding hay and protein as feed prices continued to rise. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 15, 2022 Soil moisture was short and beginning to be a concern in the Coastal Bend. Sorghum producers were having to plant deeper than normal to find moisture. Winter pastures needed significant rainfall to finish grazing and grain crops. Most hay producers were waiting to fertilize hay fields until there was increased soil moisture. Livestock were showing signs of declining body condition and were still being fed hay and protein. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 8, 2022 Rangeland and pasture conditions in the Coastal Bend continued to deteriorate with livestock showing signs of reduced nutrition. Hay feeding and protein supplements continued. AgriLife (College Station, Texas), March 2, 2022 Conditions were very dry and windy in the Coastal Bend. Wheat, oats and ryegrass were still alive, but rain will be needed soon. The feeding of hay and protein supplements continued. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 24, 2022 Coastal Bend rangeland and pasture conditions continued to be poor. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued with hay and protein. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 15, 2022 The Coastal Bend is dry, but rain is in the forecast. Dry conditions have hampered pasture growth, and producers were feeding hay and protein. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 1, 2022

The drought-affected areas of Oregon provide prime conditions for grasshoppers, encouraging a massive outbreak in 2021. Grasshoppers and other insects are devouring the already short forage supplies. Ranchers worry about grasshopper populations this summer. Oregon Public Broadcasting (Portland, Ore.), May 6, 2022

Wheat in Harper County has received about one-third of normal precipitation in the last 8 months. One grower estimated that his crop had lost 30% to 40% of its yield potential. KWCH 12 (Wichita, Kan.), May 10, 2022

Precipitation in Goshen County replenished soils though moisture was insufficient and too late for some farmers. High winds once again dried fields. In Laramie County, rains revitalized struggling crops. Soil moisture levels held for a while until high winds returned and dried fields and ranges. In Niobrara County, crop and rangeland conditions improved from the snow and rain. Stock water supplies also benefitted from the moisture and a report indicated a high number of livestock were killed due to the snowstorm that occurred April 23, 2022. In Weston County, forage was greening but short due to poor growing conditions. Kiowa County Press (Eads, Colo.), May 9, 2022

The Simi Valley City Council approved a resolution on May 9 allowing outdoor watering just one day per week beginning June 1. The aim is to conserve as much water as possible sine the boards of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Calleguas Municipal Water District in late April declared a water shortage emergency which also limits outdoor watering to once a week. Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.), May 11, 2022

A wildfire in Laguna Niguel moved fast and incinerated at least 20-multimillion-dollar homes as drought persists and worsens in Southern California. Vegetation is tinder dry, but wind was not strong, nor was the air dry. Conditions were not ideal for a fire, but the fire burned ferociously. CNN (Atlanta, Ga.), May 12, 2022

A barrel containing human remains was found in Lake Mead on May 1. Officials expect that more such discoveries may follow with the lake being at a historic low. The highest water intake became visible last week, forcing Las Vegas to draw water from deeper in the lake. Associated Press News (New York), May 2, 2022 Human skeletal remains were discovered at Callville Bay in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on May 7. KTLA-TV WB 5 Los Angeles (Calif.), May 8, 2022

Fire restrictions took effect in most national forests in Arizona on May 5 as the fire danger was heightened by dry conditions and parched fuels. The Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott and Tonto forests enacted restrictions that bar campfires and use of stoves fueled by charcoal, coal or wood except within a developed recreation site. Smoking is not allowed except in a vehicle, inside a building or within a developed recreation site. Associated Press News (New York), May 5, 2022

Rain fell too late to rescue much of Oklahoma’s wheat crop, the smallest in eight years, according to the executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. The commission projected the state's winter wheat crop at 57.05 million bushels, about half the size of the 2021 crop and the smallest since 2014. The commission predicted an average winter wheat yield of 23.5 bushels per acre, also the state's least since 2014. K.C. hard red winter wheat futures are trading above $11 a bushel this spring for the first time since 2008. Oklahoma is the second largest wheat producer in the U.S. Reuters (New York), May 5, 2022

President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for the parts of New Mexico affected by intense wildfires since early April. The largest wildfire in the U.S. is presently burning in northern New Mexico near Las Vegas, a town of 13,000 people, and has consumed 250 square miles of high alpine forest and grasslands and destroyed about 170 houses. Associated Press News (New York), May 5, 2022

California water officials worry that Southern California could run out of water this summer, barring significant cutbacks on water use. The present megadrought remains the West’s worst in the past 1,200 years, and the human-caused climate crisis has made it 72% worse. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California mandated water conservation in parts of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura counties that get water from the State Water Project. The MWD requests that all Southern Californians curb their water use by 35%. If water conservation is too low, Metropolitan Water District says it is prepared to ban all outdoor watering on September 1. CNN (Atlanta, Ga.), May 4, 2022