Drought

With virtually no grass left for Hill Country livestock to graze, ranchers were facing the difficult decision of how much longer they were willing to buy expensive feed and hay. KERA Public Media (Dallas, Texas), Jan. 11, 2020

Wheat in northeastern New Mexico was manifesting signs of drought stress. Associated Press, Jan. 2, 2020

Trout stocked in West Virginia waterways in the winter months were smaller than normal as drought during the latter part of summer through the fall affected fish size, according to Jim Hedrick, the division hatchery supervisor. Water supplies improved in October, allowing normal feeding of the fish to resume. Winter weather tends to slow the growth rate of fish, but growth should increase as warmer weather returns. Increased feeding is also being offered to bolster fish size. WBOY-TV Clarksburg (W.V.), Jan. 6, 2020

The boat ramp at B.T. Brown Reservoir reopened before Christmas after closing in October, due to low water levels. Newnan Times-Herald (Ga.), Jan. 3, 2020 The boat ramp at B.T. Brown Reservoir remained closed, due to drought, because the ramp ended a few feet from the water. The reservoir was also too low for boats to operate safely as boaters were getting stuck and causing the water to become muddy. Newnan Times-Herald (Ga.), Nov. 19, 2019

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 17 counties dealing with “a threat of imminent disaster” due to “exceptional drought conditions.” The 17 counties were Bandera, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Karnes, Kendall, Kinney, Llano, Maverick, McCulloch, Medina, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, Williamson, Zapata, and Zavala counties. The declaration authorized the use of all available state and local resources reasonably necessary to deal with the disaster. KWTX-TV 10 News Waco (Texas), Jan. 6, 2020

Although drought ended in Southeast Alaska, the diesel surcharge in Ketchikan will remain in effect until April 2020. KRBD-FM 103.5 Community Radio (Ketchikan, Alaska), Dec. 18, 2019 A planned electric rate increase for customers of Ketchikan Public Utilities will be put off until the current diesel surcharge was no longer in effect. The 3.5 percent rate increase was to begin April 1, but the utility was still using diesel to generate electricity and was adding a diesel surcharge to customers’ bills. When rainfall refills reservoirs so cheaper hydropower can be generated again, diesel will not be needed and the diesel surcharge can be dropped. KRBD (Ketchikan, Alaska), March 7, 2019

Pastures were dry in Lincoln County, leaving nothing for cattle to eat and forcing a cattle producer to begin feeding hay in early August to keep livestock alive. He expected to take a sizeable portion of his herd of more than 300 cattle to auction and thought that many area producers would have to do the same. WBTV-TV Channel 3 (Charlotte, N.C.), Oct. 7, 2019

A project assessing tree and shrub species in the 2,800 acre Fidalgo Forest revealed that summer drought conditions affected the health of trees. Cedars and hemlocks displayed an observable and quantifiable increase in drought-caused stress and mortality, according to a University of Washington forest scientist. Near Whistle Lake, 39 percent of Western hemlocks sand 23 percent of Western red cedars had died. Evidence suggested that many of those trees died in the past two years, underscoring the likelihood of drought being responsible for the deaths. Skagit Valley Herald (GoSkagit.com) (Mount Vernon, Wash.), Dec. 17, 2019

Crop conditions in Jefferson County deteriorated, due to drought. Peanut producers waited for rain to harvest dryland acres, but had to begin the harvest due to the considerable decline in vine health, increased pod damage and lack of fill. Dryland cotton was in very poor condition. Hay feeding began after pasture conditions declined earlier than usual. AgFax (Brandon, Miss.), Oct. 15, 2019

Dry conditions prevented another cutting from hayfields in Bleckley County, leaving producers concerned about feed for the winter. Ponds, creeks and rivers were low from the lack of rain. AgFax (Brandon, Miss.), Oct. 15, 2019

Winter annuals were not able to be established in Meriwether County for lack of soil moisture. There were no pastures remaining for grazing. Soybeans began defoliating as dry weather persisted. AgFax (Brandon, Miss.), Oct. 15, 2019

The recent die-off of fall Chinook salmon in the Wilson, Nestucca, Trask and Kilchis rivers near Tillamook prompted a total closure on salmon fishing on the north coast of Oregon. The fish deaths occurred before they were able to spawn as the parasite cryptobia proliferated, due to abnormally dry conditions allowing the parasite to spread, according to a district fish biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s North Coast Watershed District. Shallow waters trapped salmon in small pools for an extended time, permitting leeches that carry the parasite to infect more fish than has ever been seen in the past. All salmon angling was closed in the Necanicum River basin, Nehalem Bay and river, Tillamook Bay and rivers and Nestucca Bay and river. Salem Statesman-Journal (Ore.), Dec. 12, 2019

The lack of rain in southwest Washington has left the Shillapoo and Vancouver Lake state wildlife areas dry, and there were no ducks to be found. The Columbia River was too low to pump much water into the wetlands. The Vancouver Columbian (Wash.), Dec. 11, 2019

Small grains in South Texas had emerged, but needed rain. Pasture and rangeland conditions were fair, but rain was needed. Soil moisture levels were decreasing in most of the district. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued. Pond levels were falling. Texas A&M AgriLife (College Station, Texas), Dec. 11, 2019

Small grain growth in West Central Texas slowed, due to drought. Livestock looked fair to poor due to the lack of grazing, leading producers to increase supplemental feeding of livestock. Texas A&M AgriLife (College Station, Texas), Dec. 11, 2019

Very dry conditions in the South Plains were affecting dryland wheat and oats, rangelands and pastures. The cotton harvest nearly complete with most yields below expectations. Texas A&M AgriLife (College Station, Texas), Dec. 11, 2019

Winter forages in the Coastal Bend were actively growing, but needed rain. Livestock water was declining, and producers were becoming concerned. Livestock continued to receive hay and protein. Soil moisture was beginning to decline rapidly. Texas A&M AgriLife (College Station, Texas), Dec. 11, 2019

Stock tanks in Central Texas were low from drought, with producers culling cattle and hauling water. Small grains needed rain and were spotty in some parts of the district. Nearly all of the district reported short soil moisture levels and poor rangeland and pasture conditions. Texas A&M AgriLife (College Station, Texas), Dec. 11, 2019

Starting in January 2020, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will take less water from the Colorado as agreed in the Lower Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan, to bolster the level of Lake Mead. The massive reservoir was in the “Tier Zero” zone, triggering the first water cuts. Arizona will take 192,000 acre-feet less in water deliveries, or a 6.9 percent cut in its total allotment. Nevada will get 8,000 acre-feet less, and Mexico will leave 41,000 acre-feet in Lake Mead. Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com & KPNX-TV NBC 12 Phoenix (Ariz.), Dec. 10, 2019

A 90-day burn ban was enacted in Nolan County on Dec. 9, due to dry conditions and elevated fire danger. Ninety-seven of the 254 counties in Texas had burn bans. KTXS-TV 12 Abilene (Texas), Dec. 10, 2019