Drought

Grass fires sparked easily in the Omaha area, given the dry conditions. On Feb. 10, an effort to thaw the ground for a burial in an Omaha cemetery started a grass fire, charring some artificial flowers, and requiring firefighters to extinguish the blaze. Another grass fire occurred later in the day near an apartment building in midtown. An Omaha fire battalion chief urged the public to be careful and practice good fire safety. Omaha World-Herald (Neb.), Feb 11, 2022

The town of Benton was under a burn ban due to the dry conditions and more grass fires than usual. KPXJ-TV & KTBS-TV (Shreveport, La.), Feb 11, 2022

Irrigation districts in Central Oregon are protecting their water supplies against the drier years by converting canals to pipes. Early 2022 is looking like one of those dry years. Decreasing snowpack in the Cascades is starting to indicate that another year of drought may be on the horizon for Central Oregon. The snowpack was 130% of average in early January, but dry, warm weather has melted the snowpack. On Feb. 11, snowpack in the Upper Deschutes and Crooked River basin was 92% of normal while precipitation for the water year was 89% of normal, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. In addition, Wickiup Reservoir is expected to fill to its lowest level in history and is 44% full, although it would normally be about 84% full at this time of year. Water supplies may be lower in 2022 than in 2021. Bend Bulletin (Ore.), Feb 11, 2022

The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California instructed its staff to begin negotiating the purchase of up to 100,000 acre-feet of water from the Sacramento Valley. Metropolitan has purchased water from Northern California in eight of the past 16 years. The water deals can raise hackles in farm country, where water sales will result in fewer cultivated acres and hurt the local economy. In 2021, Metropolitan tried to buy up to 65,000 acre-feet of water from Northern California, but supplies were too short. Farmers would only sell 5,600 acre-feet, costing Metropolitan $5.3 million. Metropolitan hopes that there will be more water for sale this year since the State Water Project has already announced allocations of 15%. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.), Feb 10, 2022

Most area fire departments in eastern Nebraska have issued burn bans until further notice. Some of the affected counties may include Madison, Knox, Cedar, Antelope, Pierce, Wayne, Boone, Stanton, Cuming, Platte, Colfax and Dodge. Several area fire departments, including Norfolk, Stanton, Pierce and Madison, initiated burn bans until the region receives needed moisture. Several fires have occurred in northeast Nebraska in recent days. On Feb. 6, several dozen hay bales and a shed burned at a feedlot south of Norfolk. On Feb. 7, a grass fire burned northwest of Hoskins. Norfolk Daily News (Neb.), Feb 8, 2022

A wildfire sparked in Orange County near Emerald Bay in the early morning hours of Feb. 10. Gusty Santa Ana winds drove the flames, causing several hundred residents to evacuate as 145 acres burned. No homes were lost. This is the second winter wildfire in the Golden State after a blaze burned in January near Big Sur. Associated Press News (New York), Feb 10, 2022

All outdoor burning and open fire pits are prohibited in Webster Parish, effective Feb. 9, due to the lack of rain. In DeSoto Parish, all outdoor burning is prohibited until further notice, due to drought. KPXJ-TV & KTBS-TV (Shreveport, La.), Feb 9, 2022

Water rates are increasing in Cedar City due to ongoing drought and a planned suspension of some water rights. City council members voted in favor of the ordinance which implements tiered rates so higher water use costs more. The new rates begin on July 1 with subsequent rate increases occurring each July through 2025 for residential water users. The Spectrum.com (Cedar City, Utah), Feb 10, 2022

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on Feb. 3 that there was insufficient water to carry out a special test flow of spring releases of water from Fort Peck Dam in Montana to encourage the viability of the endangered pallid sturgeon. Omaha World-Herald (Neb.), Feb 7, 2022 While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intends to test whether controlled water releases from Fort Peck Dam could aid the spawn of pallid sturgeon, there is not enough water to conduct such a study until there is more water in the system, which will likely not be in 2022. Billings Gazette (Mont.), Dec 1, 2021

Gov. Mark Gordon signed a second executive order easing rules on hay transport that will remain in effect through Feb. 28. Wyoming Business Report (Cheyenne, Wyo.), Jan 31, 2022 Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed an executive order allowing motor carriers transporting hay to operate outside of regular operating hours and to move larger loads due to drought conditions that have plagued the state this summer. Buckrail (Jackson, Wyo.), Sept. 23, 2021

Minimum water releases from Gavins Point Dam are scheduled this winter to conserve more water in the Missouri River Mainstem reservoir system while still meeting the needs of the municipal, industrial and powerplant water intakes along the lower river, according to the Corps. Billings Gazette (Mont.), Jan 6, 2022

Ongoing dry and windy weather in Oklahoma has led to large grass fires in Logan and Oklahoma counties and elsewhere. Rainfall was above average in 2021, leading to an abundance of dry vegetation during the colder months when peak fire conditions occur. The excess dried vegetation could contribute to an average to dangerous fire season in the Sooner State. The fire season extends from late December to March. KFOR-TV NBC 4 Oklahoma City (Okla.), Jan 13, 2022

The Somervell County judge issued a 90-day burn ban as the number of brush fires has risen recently. Glen Rose Reporter (Texas), Jan 10, 2022

Even though some water-use limits and penalties were lifted in January, the swings in precipitation indicate that water conservation is essential. The district has adequate water for 2022, but the concern is for the next year. CBS San Francisco (Calif.), Feb 3, 2022

The North Weld County Water District, which has had a moratorium on new water taps since late October, will install flow-control devices on water meters to prevent agricultural and commercial users from using more than their allocation of water amid the current drought. If the water supply decreases, water to the meters may be reduced or shut off. The district plans to install about 50 flow-control devices. Greeley Daily Tribune (Colo.), Feb 3, 2022

Whatcom County mayors from Ferndale, Blaine, Lynden, Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas sent a letter to the State Department of Ecology, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Natural Resources seeking help coping with the effects of extreme weather events. In the summer, the Nooksack River has too little water, except during flooding in the spring or fall. Low flows allowed more than 2,500 salmon to die, and berries, potatoes and other crops failed because there was not enough water for irrigation. MyNorthwest.com (Seattle, Wash.), Feb 3, 2022

North Weld County Water District’s moratorium on new water tap that began in late October 2021. The moratorium caused the issuance of new building permits in Severance to stop, leaving many development and national and local home-building projects on hold. Thirty-seven building permits that were in process were halted, while another 110 permits in the town’s service area were also affected. Hundreds of additional permits need to be pulled. Eaton also has an “effective moratorium” on building permits, and other neighboring communities are affected. Greeley Daily Tribune (Colo.), Jan 19, 2022

A burn ban was instituted for Union County on Jan. 31 and remained in effect until further notice. The area has been dry since fall. El Dorado News-Times (Ark.), Jan 31, 2022

The Oklahoma County countywide burn was extended on Jan. 31 for 14 days and took effect on Feb. 1. The ban originally went into effect on Jan. 18 due to the increased incidence of wildland fires. Thirty-three Oklahoma counties have bans on outdoor burning, including most counties west of Interstate 35. The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Feb 1, 2022

More than half a dozen fires kept Montague County firefighters occupied on Jan. 29 and forced the evacuations of several homes along State Highway 59. One fire burned after someone violated the burn ban. Bowie News (Texas), Feb 2, 2022