Drought

Many livestock owners in Wyoming did not get adequate forage growth for cattle, and heat and drought has dried it up. Ranchers have opted to sell livestock or ship them earlier than usual to cope with drought. Feed is in short supply, and hay is expensive. Wyoming Public Radio (Laramie), Aug 10, 2021

The level of Lake Mead was 1,067 feet on July 13. Hoover Dam’s hydropower efficiency has fallen about 25%, due to the historically low water level. Lake Mead has an increased likelihood of falling to 1,025 and 1,000 feet by 2025, with the Bureau of Reclamation estimating the chances at 58% and 21%. KTNV-TV Las Vegas Channel 13 (Nev.), July 14, 2021 Lake Mead dipped to its lowest level since the 1930s on June 16 at 1070.6 feet above sea level and was about 143 feet lower than its level in 2000 when it was last full. Each day brings new record lows. The lower water levels also mean reduced hydropower production at Hoover Dam. Capacity in recent weeks was 1,500 megawatts, or 25% lower than in better days when the dam produced 2,000 megawatts. CNN US (Atlanta, Ga.), June 17, 2021 Lake Mead fell below 1,071.61 feet above sea level on June 9, hitting the lowest level since the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. The lake’s rapid drop exceeded projections from even a few months ago, and the decline is expected to continue through 2021 and into 2023. A water shortage declaration is expected from the federal government in August, which will lead to large cuts in water allocations for Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico in 2022. USA Today (McLean, Va.), June 10, 2021

More than 90% of the small grain crops in south central and southwestern North Dakota will not be harvested as most of it has already been baled, according to the owner of an ag supply store in Mandan who was part of the Agweek Crop Tour. Much of the small grains were baled for hay. Nitrate levels were found to be too high in some of the hay and was not safe for use as livestock feed. Some of the early chopped corn for silage had nitrate levels of 10,000 parts per million, far too high for livestock feed. Agweek (Fargo, N.D.), Aug 7, 2021

United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited with Minnesota farmers, who shared their accounts of drought on their farms. He learned that sale barns were turning livestock owners away as there was no one to purchase the livestock. Yet there was no hay or grazing land to sustain the animals. Vilsack said that he would strive to get additional aid for farmers. Duluth News Tribune (Minn.), Aug 12, 2021

While melons thrive in hot, dry weather, this year has been too hot and dry for melons in the Forestburg area. The quality of the melons is amazing, but the quantity was down, yielding about half the usual number of melons. A particular cow comes over to the roadside stand daily, hoping for a melon. KELOLAND-TV CBS 11 (Sioux City, S.D.), Aug 10, 2021

Drought dried up the last natural watering hole for livestock on a Moffat County ranch. The ranchers haul hundreds of gallons of water daily for the animals. Hay has not grown well in recent years, forcing them to buy hay, which is pricey with the shipping costs. The ranchers coped by selling a third of their herd this year. If there is not water for cattle, deer and elk were probably suffering, too, so hunting may not be very good in northwest Colorado. Craig Daily Press (Colo.), Aug 13, 2021

Many North Dakota farmers were harvesting corn for livestock forage instead of grain, according to North Dakota State University Extension. Short or very short described 92% of topsoil and 89% of subsoil in the state. Almost two-thirds of the spring wheat crop was rated poor or very poor, with about half of the corn and soybean crops also in those two categories. Ranchers were culling herds and cutting failed corn and other crops for hay across the state. Water quality continued to be a concern. Pasture and range conditions were rated 79% poor or very poor, as was 75% of the alfalfa hay crop. The Bismarck Tribune (N.D.), Aug 12, 2021

A Bitterroot Valley rancher and hay grower came up 750 to 1,000 bales short this year. The high cost of hay at $330 per ton, nearly double last year’s price, has ranchers selling livestock. Grain farmers were being asked to bale their straw or have it baled to use as a feed supplement. Ravalli Republic (Mont.), Aug 8, 2021

The Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on Aug. 10 requesting that the county be declared an agricultural disaster area. Corn, hay and soybean yields were down significantly. The first cutting was hay was nearly average, but second ones were almost “non-existent.” The Northern Virginia Daily (Strasburg), Aug 11, 2021

A livestock producer in Shenandoah County began feeding his cattle hay at the end of July after they grazed the pasture down, and he anticipated having to sell some animals. Corn, hay and soybean yields were down significantly. The first cutting was hay was nearly average, but second ones were almost “non-existent.” The Northern Virginia Daily (Strasburg), Aug 11, 2021

A hay grower in Oregon’s Klamath Basin said he typically produces 600 tons of hay annually, but got only 60 tons, or 10% of normal, this year. Rather than having 300 tons of hay to sell, he was looking to buy 400 tons of hay this year. AgWeb (Mexico, Mo.), Aug 9, 2021

A sheep producer in central Wyoming sold his herd of 150 sheep down to just 38, knowing that he couldn’t afford to feed them during a drought. A cattle rancher in south central Wyoming attested that he knew people who made major adjustments in May and June anticipating that drought would make things difficult this year. AgWeb (Mexico, Mo.), Aug 9, 2021

Dryland crops in Thayer County in southeast Nebraska missed significant rains and were struggling. Irrigated corn should have a good yield, but irrigation costs and the water demand has been high during the summer. Brownfield Ag (Jefferson City, Mo.), Aug 10, 2021

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed an executive order on Aug. 9 easing some hours of service restrictions for truckers transporting hay, water and livestock to assist ranchers struggling with providing feed and water for their herds amid drought. The Bismarck Tribune (N.D.), Aug 13, 2021

North Dakota livestock producers were urged to make sure their livestock were current on anthrax vaccinations after a case was confirmed in Kidder County. During drought, anthrax spores can become active on infected pasture land when cattle are grazing close to the ground. Agweek (Fargo, N.D.), Aug 6, 2021

South and central Maui residents were told to conserve water by the Maui Department of Water Supply, due to extreme drought. The Central Maui System relies mainly on groundwater. KHON-TV FOX 2 (Honolulu, Hawaii), July 30, 2021

The level of Blue Mesa Reservoir will fall about two feet per week through the end of September, when it should be 96 feet below capacity, a level not seen since the reservoir fell to 93 feet below capacity in 1984. The water is being sent downstream to support Lake Powell. KRDO-TV ABC 13 Colorado Springs (Colo.), Aug 2, 2021

North Dakota ranchers began culling livestock in April and May, given the drought and the need to prepare for drought sooner rather than later. AgWeb (Mexico, Mo.), Aug 9, 2021

Drought prevented corn from growing very tall, leaving Oregon farmers to cut it with a draper head. With no hay, ranchers continued selling cattle. One rancher in southeast Oregon had to pull his cattle off federal BLM land more than a month early. On top of the challenges that drought brings, there are grasshoppers eating everything and will even eat cow manure when that is the only thing left to eat. It’s too late to spray for grasshoppers—there is a certain window of time when the spray kills the grasshoppers, but that window has closed. AgWeb (Mexico, Mo.), Aug 9, 2021

Lake Oroville dropped to its lowest level since September 1977 and was below 643.5 feet above sea level on the morning of Aug. 3. The Edward Hyatt Power Plant is expected to lose the ability to produce power due to low water levels in early August. Water has been released through the base of the dam to maintain river temperature requirements in the Feather River below the dam. Oroville Mercury-Register (Calif.), Aug 3, 2021