Drought

A county-wide burn ban took effect in Douglas County on Feb. 8 as unseasonably dry weather make outdoor burning too dangerous. All open burn permits were on hold as the ban remains in effect until further notice. KETV-TV (Omaha, Neb.), Feb 7, 2022

Zone 7 Water Agency declared a drought emergency in September, requiring a savings of 15% from all water service providers in Livermore, Pleasanton and the Dublin San Ramon Services District. The drought emergency remains in effect, despite recent rainfall. PleasantonWeekly.com (Calif.), Nov 21, 2021 The 15% water conservation mandate and drought-emergency status were still in effect for the Tri-Valley, despite recent rain. Livermore Independent (Calif.), Oct 27, 2021 Drought and low water storage led the Zone 7 Water Agency Board of Directors to unanimously declare a drought emergency and mandate 15% water use reduction for all Zone 7 retailers. July water savings was about 7%, compared to July 2020, so action is needed immediately to ensure adequate supplies in 2022. A Stage 2 Shortage Emergency and local drought emergency resolution were also approved at the Sept. 1 special board meeting. Zone 7 serves customers in the cities of Livermore and Pleasanton, Dublin-San Ramon Services District and the California Water Service Company. DanvilleSan Ramon (Calif.), Sept 2, 2021

The City of Norfolk and Madison County were not issuing burn permits for open burning as of Feb. 28. The fire chiefs from Madison County request that residents refrain from open burning and to be careful with used smoking materials. News Channel Nebraska (Norfolk, Neb.), Feb 28, 2022

Drought, low soil moisture and good cotton prices are expected to lead Texas farmers to plant less corn and more drought-tolerant crops like cotton. Some regions, like much of the Lower Rio Grande Valley and the High Plains, are irrigated, but drought is a bigger concern in West Texas and the Texas Plains where dryland agriculture is the rule. The high price of nitrogen fertilizer could also sway farmers to plant less corn and more cotton. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 24, 2022

Summer and fall were dry in the Sioux Falls area of South Dakota, and winter has delivered less than half of the normal amount of snow. Farmers have noticed the dryness and talk about it, knowing that there is little subsoil moisture at present. KSFY-TV ABC 13 Sioux Falls (S.D.), Feb 21, 2022

Soil moisture conditions in Central Texas were deteriorating after another mostly dry week. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 24, 2022 Central Texas crops were in poor to fair condition. Producers continued supplemental feeding heavily. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 15, 2022

The South Plains remained extremely dry, and rain was needed for all aspects of agriculture. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 15, 2022 and Feb 24, 2022

The St. George City Council passed a six-month pause from approving new car washes, recreation and entertainment centers so city officials can review city code concerning projects that use large amounts of water.

Controlled burning is not permitted in Riley County as drought increased the fire danger. The Mercury (Manhattan, Kan.), Feb 24, 2022

When not battling flames, California firefighters are preparing for the fire season ahead by thinning forest, clearing thick wooded areas near homes and roadways to provide less fuel for future wildfires and keep the flames low to the ground. Homeowners would be wise to remove dead vegetation from near their home and clean out rain gutters in case a fire would occur. KRON4 (San Francisco, Calif.), Feb 22, 2022

The sandhill cranes that migrate through Nebraska in February to March overwinter in coastal Texas to southeast Arizona, south into Chihuahua, Mexico, and north into the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma. Warm, droughty weather in their winter habitat makes the birds migrate early, explaining why the birds have arrived in central Nebraska so early this year. Omaha World-Herald (Neb.), Feb 21, 2022

Given the drought conditions, the fire marshal in Reno County recommended that people wait until May or June to burn brush piles as the dry conditions have allowed burns to escape. A recent wildfire was thought to have been a reignited fire that was lit two weeks ago during a snowstorm. Recent snow was not enough to alleviate drought conditions. KAKE-TV ABC 10 Wichita (Kan.), Feb 18, 2022

Water reserves remained low, and ranchers provided supplemental feed to livestock at above average rates. Some ranchers were selling yearling livestock early. Kiowa County Press (Eads, Colo.), Feb 19, 2022

Ranges and livestock in Sheridan County were affected by dry conditions as good forage was lacking. Kiowa County Press (Eads, Colo.), Feb 19, 2022

Some parts of eastern Colorado fared better than others in terms of received moisture and recent snowfall. Winter wheat benefitted from better snow cover. Concerns remained going forward for fall-seeded crops and pasture conditions. Kiowa County Press (Eads, Colo.), Feb 19, 2022

Some people think that drought may be contributing to the browning of junipers in New Mexico and could indicate a die-off is looming. While junipers typically bronze in the winter and are drought-resistant, the megadrought could be affecting the trees. Santa Fe New Mexican (N.M.), Feb. 21, 2022

In less than two months, 112 fires in southern Arkansas have burned 1,200 acres in the southern part of the state. The De Queen Bee (Ark.), Feb 18, 2022

The number of grass fires has been higher than usual since Jan. 1 in the Hammond area. The fire department usually gets 12 to 14 calls each day, but since Jan. 1, the department has received an average of 17 calls a day. The area has not gotten heavy rain in a while, and has a burn ban in effect. Hammond Daily Star (La.), Feb 18, 2022

The fire danger remains high in central Texas with strong winds and dry vegetation, given drought conditions in the Waco area. Fire departments ask the public to do their part in preventing additional blazes as fire departments are “getting whooped.” McLennan County also has a burn ban in effect, as does Coryell and 112 other counties in Texas. KWTX-TV 10 News Waco (Texas), Feb 21, 2022

Southern Arkansas counties with burn bans included Ashley, Chicot, Columbia, Hempstead, Howard, Jefferson, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, Pike, Sevier and Union. In less than two months, 112 fires have burned 1,200 acres in the southern part of the state. There were no burn bans in east Texas or southeast Oklahoma, and Louisiana remained under a statewide burn ban. The De Queen Bee (Ark.), Feb 18, 2022 Eight Arkansas counties adopted burn bans due to worsening drought conditions and more grass fires. The affected counties are Ashley, Bradley, Hempstead, Howard, Miller, Pike, Ouachita and Union. KPXJ-TV & KTBS-TV (Shreveport, La.), Feb 11, 2022