Drought watch, warning for some Pennsylvania counties

3 weeks ago
The remaining eight Pennsylvania counties of Adams, Cameron, Clinton, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Westmoreland, and York have returned to normal status, thanks to precipitation in recent months. WHTM-TV ABC 27 (Harrisburg, Pa.), March 6, 2024 The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection lifted the drought watch for eight counties. The counties that returned to normal status are Bucks, Dauphin, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lebanon, Montgomery, Northampton and Perry. Adams, Cameron, Cumberland, Fulton and Westmoreland Counties remain in drought watch. York County was in a drought warning, but has been improved to drought watch. Clinton and Franklin counties remained in a drought warning. Lebanon Daily News (Pa.), Jan 26, 2024 The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced after a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force that a drought watch will continue for 13 counties and a drought warning will continue for Clinton and York Counties. Franklin County was elevated from a drought watch to drought warning. The 13 counties in the drought watch were Adams, Bucks, Cameron, Cumberland, Dauphin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lebanon, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, and Westmoreland. FOX 43 (York, Pa.), Dec 22, 2023 The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced that a drought watch continued for more than a dozen counties while York County remained in a drought warning. Clinton County was put in the drought warning category. The counties in a drought watch included Adams, Bucks, Cameron, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lebanon, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry and Westmoreland counties. WHTM-TV 27 (Harrisburg, Pa.), Dec 2, 2023 Drought watch status continued for 19 Pennsylvania counties, and York County was moved to drought warning status, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Those in a drought warning are asked to reduce their individual water use by 10 to 15%, or a reduction of six to nine gallons of water per day. FOX 43 (Harrisburg, Pa.), Sept 22, 2023 The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced that the drought watch had been lifted for 47 counties, but remained in effect for 20 counties mainly in the southeast part of the state. Those in a drought watch are asked to curb their water use by 5% to 10%. KDKA Online (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Aug 24, 2023 The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection maintained a statewide drought watch. Residents and non-farm businesses were urged to voluntarily conserve water by reducing nonessential water use. Groundwater levels remain low in parts of the state. Twenty-one public water suppliers requested or required water conservation in their communities. The Bradford Era (Pa.), July 28, 2023 The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declared a statewide drought watch after a winter of low snowfall and relatively dry spring. Stream flows and groundwater levels were low. Residents and businesses were urged to curb their nonessential water use by 5% to 10%. Eighteen public water suppliers were asking for voluntary water conservation. WGAL Online (Lancaster, Pa.), June 15, 2023

Louisiana governor issued disaster declaration for crawfish industry

3 weeks 1 day ago
As crawfish producers struggled to provide many of the crustaceans after a hot, dry summer, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued a disaster declaration for the industry and stated that the shortage affected the state’s economy and also “our way of life.” The Louisiana State University’s Agriculture Center estimated the potential loss to the state’s crawfish industry to be nearly $140 million. One year ago, a pound of boiled crawfish cost between $3 to $5, but restaurants were presently charging $10 to $12 per pound, as reported by The Advocate. The Associated Press, March 6, 2024

Most of the Lower Colorado River Authority's agricultural customers in Texas left without water again

3 weeks 2 days ago
Most of the Lower Colorado River Authority’s agricultural customers in Colorado, Wharton and Matagorda counties will not receive water from the Highland Lake system again this year, due to the lakes being depleted by drought. These customers have not received water from the Highland Lakes since 2022. Lakes Buchanan and Travis were about 42% full, holding 845,086 acre-feet. KVUE News (Austin, Texas), March 3, 2024

Low winter snowfall meant little moisture for pastures in northwest Wisconsin

3 weeks 6 days ago
The small amount of snow meant that pastures near Wheeler in northwest Wisconsin had very little moisture to start the growing season. The sheep and beef producer has already been culling less productive animals for the past two years, leaving him few options available. Brownfield Ag News (Jefferson City, Mo.), Feb 27, 2024

Burn ban in Cass County, Iowa

3 weeks 6 days ago
A burn ban took effect in Cass County on Feb. 27 as the current drought conditions brought a higher risk of rapid fire spread. Western Iowa Today (Atlantic, Iowa), Feb 27, 2024

Extremely high livestock prices in East Texas

3 weeks 6 days ago
Drought in the summer of 2022 led ranchers in East Texas to sell livestock. Now, in March 2024, fewer animals were being sold at auction because herds have already been downsized. Consequently, auction prices have risen to record levels. KETK (Tyler, Texas), March 1, 2024

Dearth of snow, early start to fire season in Minnesota

4 weeks ago
While the average snow depth for Duluth at the end of February is a little more than 15 inches, this year, the total snowfall since the start of the season was just 18.7 inches. This has been one of the least snowy winters on record, according to a NWS Duluth meteorologist. The snow water equivalent was presently the lowest on record. Given the dry conditions and warm weather, the spring fire season began in mid-February statewide, although it typically begins in late March or early April. Over the last week and a half, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources responded to 45 wildfires that burned 545 acres. WDIO News (Duluth, Minn.), Feb 29, 2024

Roughly 12.5 trees died in Mississippi amid extreme drought

4 weeks ago
Extreme drought conditions in Mississippi killed approximately 12.5 million trees, and over 80,000 acres were affected across the state, according to a preliminary survey on pine mortality by the Mississippi Forestry Commission. Drought stressed the trees, and beetles, such as the Southern Pine beetle and Ips beetle, likely attacked the stressed trees and killed them. The Daily Leader (Brookhaven, Miss.), Feb 13, 2024 Timber, Mississippi’s third largest commodity, was harshly affected by drought. Pine beetles preyed on the drought-stressed trees. Timber farmers in the southwest part of the state may have lost a significant portion of their investment. WLBT Online (Jackson, Miss.), Feb 27, 2024

Stage 2 restrictions for Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District in Texas

4 weeks ago
The Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District went from Stage 3 Critical Drought to Stage 2 Alarm Drought on March 1. The district entered Stage 3 in October 2022 and went to Stage 4 Exceptional Drought in December 2023. Several inches of rain in the first two months of 2024 enhanced the flow at Barton Springs and helped refill the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers and area creeks. KVUE News (Austin, Texas), March 1, 2024 The Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District board of directors voted to move to a Stage 4 Exceptional Drought declaration, the first time such a declaration had ever been made. Stage 4 would mean significant pumping restrictions and permanent reclassification for certain District permittees beginning Jan. 1, 2024. KXAN (Austin, Texas), Dec 15, 2023

Stage 1 drought restrictions in Pflugerville, Texas

1 month ago
Stage 1 drought restrictions took effect for Pflugerville on March 1, allowing outdoor watering only once per week. The aim was to reduce average daily water use by 10% as storage in the Highland Lakes, the city’s main water source, was below 1,200,000 acre-feet. Community Impact (Austin, Texas), Feb 27, 2024

Temporary increase in water withdrawal from the Alafia River

1 month ago
The Southwest Florida Water Management District approved a request from Tampa Bay Water to temporarily increase its permitted withdrawals from the Alafia River from 10% to 19% above baseline flow to store more water in the reservoir before the driest part of the dry season, which is typically in April. Tampa Bay Times (Fla.), Feb 27, 2024

Higher than usual in the Shoals area of Alabama

1 month ago
There have been more fires in the Shoals area the past few weeks, despite the recent rainfall. An Alabama Forestry Commission forestry specialist, who was also chief of the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department, advised the public to be careful with outdoor burning and to always keep a close watch on the fire as private burns were escaping and turning into larger blazes. Last week, Colbert and Lauderdale volunteer fire departments responded to 14 grass or woods fires in a 72-hour period. TimesDaily.com (Florence, Ala.), Feb 26, 2024

Sugar mill closing in Santa Rosa, Texas

1 month ago
Years of drought hurt sugar production in the Rio Grande Valley, prompting the board of directors of the Rio Grande Sugar Growers co-op to close the mill permanently. Mexico has not given the water that they were obligated to provide under the 1944 treaty, which is 350,000 acre-feet per year on average. A Dec. 5 deadline came and went, and it became clear that the water would not be there for the sugar growers. The 90 sugar growers will be affected by the lack of water, and so will the more than 500 employees that work for the mill, doing a variety of jobs, such as drivers of trucks, tractors and harvesters. There are also 150 full time mill employees that are administrative staff and operate the mill. Employees will be employed through April 29 and will receive all of their pay and vacation pay. Texas Standard (Austin), Feb 26, 2024

West Texans urged to conserve water

1 month ago
Meteorologists were warning that drought conditions in West Central Texas may intensify this spring and summer due to ongoing lack of rain and heat. West Texas authorities urged water conservation in preparation for the potential worsening of drought. San Angelo Live (Texas), Feb 21, 2024

Dry conditions worry Iowa farmers

1 month ago
Persistent drought conditions in Iowa continue to worry farmers as the start of the growing season neared, but crop yields last year were better than some farmers dared to hope. Brownfield Ag News (Jefferson City, Mo.), Feb 22, 2024
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