Drought

The dry weather in northern Indiana affected crop production and caused soil issues and an increase in insect activity. The first cuttings of hay and alfalfa were excellent, but the yields were down for the second and third cuttings. ABC 57 WBND-TV South Bend News (Ind.), Aug. 16, 2019

Residents of Kodiak were asked to voluntarily curb their water use due to an unusually hot summer and the possibility of a water supply shortage. Kodiak Daily Mirror (Alaska), Aug. 20, 2019

Cotton crop conditions were poor in Far West Texas, due to high winds and dry weather, with some fields wilting in the eastern part of the district. Producers continued to feed livestock and wildlife. Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Aug. 20, 2019 The hot, dry weather in Far West Texas dried out rangelands and pastures as soil moisture decreased. Some cotton began shedding squares and bolls. Producers were giving supplemental hay and feed to livestock and wildlife. Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Aug. 13, 2019 In the drier parts of Far West Texas, farmers were offering their livestock supplemental feed. North Texas e-News (Fannin, Texas), July 30, 2019

The Clallam County Public Utility District issued a Stage 2 water alert for the Upper Fairview, Clallam Bay/Sekiu and Island View water systems in response to the governor’s declaration. The Olympic Mountains snowpack was down to 22 percent of normal on May 25 as the snow melted early, increasing the possibility of water shortages later in the year. Port Angeles Peninsula Daily News (Wash.), May 26, 2019

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that Arizona and Nevada will face cuts in allocations from Lake Mead in 2020 because the reservoir is anticipated to fall below 1,090 feet above sea level on Jan. 1. Arizona, a junior water use, will receive about 7 percent or 192,000 acre-feet less, while Nevada gets 3 percent less, amounting to 9,000 acre-feet going unused. Santa Fe New Mexican (N.M.), Aug. 16, 2019

An emergency order banning outdoor burning was signed July 31, and Burnet County commissioners extended the ban on Aug. 8 for the next 90 days, due to heat and little rain in the forecast to ease the fire danger. Open burning was also prohibited in Llano County. Burnet Bulletin (Texas), Aug. 14, 2019

Haines Borough stopped selling water to cruise ships on July 1 and has lost roughly $10,000 to $15,000 in revenue. Chilkat Valley News (Alaska), Aug. 8, 2019

Soybeans in Vermillion County were short from lack of rain and were very short in Champaign County. news gazette (Champaign, Ill.), Aug. 15, 2019

Mandatory water restrictions were reissued in Haines Borough as dry conditions persisted and the level of Lily Lake fell. Chilkat Valley News (Alaska), Aug. 8, 2019 Drought and insufficient snowpack lowered Lily Lake, usually supplying 80 percent of Haines’ water needs, to an historic low this summer to the point that water no longer flows by gravity from the lake, due to a problem with the pipeline. Water production was down to 130 gallons per minute, rather than 250 gallons per minute. KHNS (Haines, Alaska), Aug. 12, 2019

All open burning was banned within the Tonica Fire Department response area, due to the dry conditions. MyWebTimes-The Times (Ottawa, Ill.), Aug. 11, 2019

Corn in the Norfolk area required extra irrigation to promote pollination. The hot, dry weather may have limited production of some summer crops. Norfolk Virginian-Pilot/HamptonRoads.com (Va.), Aug. 12, 2019

Heat and absence of rain led to leaf rolling in some Michigan corn. The dry weather also hurt pasture and range conditions to the extent that some producers were giving their livestock supplemental feed. USAgNet (Marshfield, Wis.), Aug. 13, 2019

Kentucky’s sunflowers needed more rain than they received to thrive this growing season, leaving the plants shorter than normal. WBKO-TV Bowling Green (Ky.), Aug. 12, 2019

Indiana corn and soybean development was affected by dry weather, causing crop conditions to decline somewhat. Moisture stress was apparent statewide, particularly in fields with coarse soils. Irrigation was in use where available. USAgNet (Marshfield, Wis.), Aug. 13, 2019

Unirrigated corn in Alabama was suffering amid the heat and intensifying drought. In Autauga County, the unirrigated corn was entirely brown, bearing ears that were half the size of those produced by irrigated corn. Cotton was dropping boles. Montgomery Advertiser (Ala.), Aug. 13, 2019

A produce vendor in Horry County has been buying produce from Columbia this summer to have something to sell at his stand after drought damaged his crops. WMBF-TV NBC Myrtle Beach (S.C.), Aug. 13, 2019

The South Carolina Drought Response Committee met on Aug. 12 and upgraded the drought status for 33 counties. Nine counties were upgraded from normal to incipient drought; 11 counties remained in incipient drought; 24 counties were upgraded to moderate drought; and two counties were in normal condition. Some upstate cattle producers were liquidating cattle herds, due to exceedingly dry pastures, while others opted to feed hay cut just this spring. Orangeburg Times and Democrat (S.C.), Aug. 12, 2019

Pastures and hayfields in the Coastal Bend were drying quickly, and livestock grazing was short in some pastures as a result. Some cattle producers offered supplemental feeding or began marketing cattle to lower stocking rates. Some counties adopted burn bans as dryness persisted. Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Aug. 13, 2019

Hay making in the Rolling Plains slowed, due to the dry conditions. Pastures were drying up quickly, and the fire danger was rising. Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Aug. 13, 2019

Hot, dry conditions in central Texas caused pasture quality to deteriorate, with some producers beginning to feed round bales. Grass production was slowed as soil moisture was short. Cotton producers irrigated heavily. Stock tank levels were dropping. Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Aug. 13, 2019