Drought

Hay is in short supply, due to drought in the region, and feed prices were triple the normal price. Cache Valley Daily (Logan, Utah), Dec 2, 2021

The Piikani Lodge Health Institute was constructing snow fences on Blackfeet Nation land to catch the snow, which will melt in the spring and provide some drought relief. Cut Bank Pioneer Press (Mont.), Nov 24, 2021

Calleguas Municipal Water District, one of the largest water suppliers on the South Coast, is urging its more than 660,000 customers to limit water use by 15% compared to 2020 in Ventura County. KCLU (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Nov 19, 2021

The Yellowstone Ski Festival was canceled for lack of snow for the first time in the event’s 30-year history. It is typically held the week of Thanksgiving. KUFM-FM Montana Public Radio (Missoula, Mont.), Nov 23, 2021

The Sugar Bowl Resort at Lake Tahoe planned to open on Friday, Nov. 26, but the lack of snow meant that they would postpone for a while. The Heavenly and Northstar resorts announced previously that they would have to delay their openings. KCRA-TV NBC 3 Sacramento (Calif.), Nov 23, 2021

A couple of the driest years on record, poor habitat conditions and significantly limited bird production have made for a lousy quail and chukar partridge hunting season in Nevada and Utah. Bird numbers were lower in Arizona, too. Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nev.), Nov 24, 2021

Drought in the U.S. has increased prices for a number of food items as low water supplies cut into production. Wheat, coffee, meat, nuts, avocados and sushi rice will cost more at the grocery store. Eat This, Not That! (New York), Nov 24, 2021

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife began releasing juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon into the Klamath River because river conditions have cooled and flows have increased, offering the young salmon a better chance at surviving and reaching the Pacific Ocean. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Sacramento, Calif.), Nov 19, 2021

The temporary burn ban in Potter County was extended for 90 days by the Commissioners’ Court, due to ongoing dry conditions and persistent strong winds. The burn ban will remain in effect until Feb. 20, 2022. Amarillo Globe-News (Texas), Nov 22, 2021

Distilleries use a lot of water for fermentation, proofing, and cooling, but some beverage makers are striving to conserve water. On average, it takes about 37 liters of water to make one liter of spirit, versus 3.5 liters to make a liter of beer, or 4 liters of water to make a liter of wine. SevenFiftyDaily (New York), Nov 22, 2021

Feedlot placements in October were 2.245 million head, 102.4 percent of last year. Marketings in October were 1.788 million head, 95.5 percent of one year ago. There was one less business day in October 2021 compared to last year, so average daily marketings were equal to last year. The November 1 on-feed total was 11.948 million head, 99.8 percent of last year. This fall the year over year increases have been smaller, up 6.5 percent in the last eight weeks of data, indicating that some of the normal fall culling likely occurred earlier in the year due to drought. Beef Magazine (St. Charles, Ill.), Nov 22, 2021

Crop yields varied greatly even within fields in Isanti County after a season of severe drought, where the combine yield monitor might read 200 bushels per acre and then suddenly say zero. For some yields were good, while for others, corn and soybean yields were down 50% to 60% and hay yields down 30% to 40%. Isanti-Chisago County Star (Cambridge, Minn.), Nov 18, 2021

Intense drought this summer made cultivating crops a tremendous challenge. A Beaver County rancher and farmer switched from growing alfalfa to grass in recent years to conserve water, but was only able to produce a quarter of the grass as usual. He took advantage of Utah’s Water Optimization Program to replace the cement in an irrigation ditch so it leaked less. KUER-FM 90.1 (Salt Lake City, Utah), Nov 12, 2021

Drought hastened the liquidation of cattle and would likely continue to support rising cattle prices in the months ahead, according to an Oklahoma State University livestock marketing specialist. The beef cow slaughter is about 9 percent higher year-over-year, and 12 percent higher than in 2019. Drought may be contributing about 1.5% to the increased beef cow slaughter rate. The lack of rain in Oklahoma slowed winter wheat pasture growth for grazing. La Junta Tribune-Democrat (Colo.), Nov 24, 2021 Livestock producers in the West, Southwest and Northern Plains have endured extreme drought since June and are trying to decide whether to feed their herds or liquidate. Farm Progress (St. Charles, Ill.), Nov 11, 2021 Extreme heat and drought dried up pastures, leaving no hay or feed for cattle, pushing many cattle producers from Canada across the U.S. and Mexico to sell livestock. The liquidation of breeding stock is expected to limit cattle production for years, tighten the North American beef supply, and increase prices consumers will pay, according to ranchers and cattle experts. Reuters (New York), Sept 3, 2021

Experts recommend that farmers test their soil for nitrogen to ensure the application of the right amount of fertilizer. Some testing has indicated nitrogen numbers up to five times higher than a normal year, meaning more fertilizer was needed. Prices for fertilizer are up to twice that of last year. KX Net (Bismarck, N.D.), Nov 15, 2021

Although water customers were urged to curb their water use by 50%, Lake Mendocino was still at less than 20% of capacity and has no significant backup supply. The reservoir needs decent precipitation through the winter to have enough to meet demand next summer and fall. Tens of thousands of people depend on the lake. In addition, a faulty electric transformer for the Potter Valley Project means less water flowing into Lake Mendocino and typically provides about 30% of the lake’s inflow. Sedimentation may have reduced the amount of water that the lake holds so that there is less water there than expected. Grape growers were denied district water since April, and yield losses were 20% to 60% for many growers. San Francisco Chronicle (Calif.), Nov 12, 2021

Southern Nevada Water Authority’s Water Smart Landscapes Program pays property owners $3 for every square foot of grass removed and replaced with drip-irrigated landscaping or artificial turf. More than 200 million square feet of grass has been removed in Southern Nevada since the program started in 1999, saving 11 billion gallons of water a year. KVVU-TV FOX 5 Las Vegas (Nev.), Nov 10, 2021

This was very difficult year for Montana farmers and ranchers with extreme heat, drought, grasshoppers, commodity prices, and other issues, mental health and behavioral health was increasingly a concern in farming communities. Frank King, considering himself a "mental health comedian," feared a spike in suicides could follow. He spoke at the Montana Farm Bureau Federation convention to open a dialogue about suicide. Montana has led the country in suicide rates for more than 40 years and a 2012 study revealed that suicide among farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers was twice that of the general population, according to the National Farmers Union. Ravalli Republic (Mont.), Nov 10, 2021

Acting Hawaii Governor Clare Connors signed a proclamation that provides relief to Maui County, which has suffered under drought conditions since March 2019. Rainfall, stream flow, and ground water levels in Maui County remain significantly below normal. Gov. David Ige previously issued a proclamation declaring an emergency on Jan. 27, 2021, allowing the state to provide Maui County with relief from disaster damages, losses and suffering caused by the drought conditions. The initial proclamation expired after 60 days. Maui Now (Kahului, Hawaii), Nov 10, 2021

Crops looked fairly good in Carver County, despite a summer of extreme drought. Timely rains helped and favorable fall weather allowed farmers to harvest early. Oats, however, were used for straw instead of being harvested as yields were low. Severe drought hurt crops in counties to the north and southwest where dairy and produce farms were ravaged. The corn yield should be down 13 bushels per acre, compared to 2020, according to the USDA. Some varieties of apples were small, due to drought, while other varieties were fine. The lack of rain this fall was helpful for drying crops in the field, saving farmers money on propane. HometownSource (Coon Rapids, Minn.), Nov 11, 2021