Typically, spring would bring flooding concerns.
But that’s not the case this year as a three-year-long drought continues in Nebraska. The amount of water in many places, including the Missouri River, is well below the flood stage.
As of Friday, for example, the water level in the Missouri River near Omaha stood around 13 feet. That’s about half of the 27 feet level needed for the river to hit the flood stage. The Platte River also remains well below the flood stage.
“Generally we have been in drought so there’s a lot of room in the river for water to go through,” said Dirk Petersen, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Valley.
Last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projected that winter and spring precipitation will help alleviate drought conditions in Nebraska. So far, that relief hasn’t come.
The U.S. Drought Monitor based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln continues to show, as of Friday, that nearly all of Nebraska is in some level of drought. An area of exceptional drought is concentrated in counties north and northwest of Douglas County, accounting for about 6% of the state.
The area of extreme drought has expanded compared to one week ago. Whereas last week it was limited to various pockets of the state, a new map from the Drought Monitor shows extreme drought extends from the state’s northeast corner to the southwest with a pocket in the Panhandle.
Overall, the area of extreme drought covers about 45% of the state.
There’s some hope for the drought to ease in some areas. The Drought Monitor’s seasonal outlook through July 31 shows drought is likely to go away in areas in the northern and southern regions of Nebraska that are currently experiencing moderate levels of drought. For most of the state, the outlook calls for the drought to persist but lessen somewhat.
Right now, the drought continues to present obstacles for Nebraska’s farmers as they begin to plant their crops. As Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue planted corn in Merrick County in east-central Nebraska Thursday, he said conditions are as dry as they’ve ever been in the sandy region this spring.
“With the stuff that I’m planting now, I don’t think I probably have enough moisture to germinate the seed,” he said.
While irrigation certainly helps crops grow in periods of drought, it comes at significant cost to farmers. Irrigation costs depends on the area and the amount of moisture already present in the soil, but McHargue said that each use of an irrigator typically can cost at least $1,000.
The long drought has compounded the difficulty for farmers this year. Last year, there was moisture in the subsoil, but that’s not the case this year, said Nebraska Extension Educator Jenny Rees. That dryness has made for shallower roots and sometimes makes it impossible for farmers to even get their planters in the ground “because the ground is so hard.”
“This is one of the first years I can remember where we just have no subsoil moisture,” she said. “There are a lot of fields where I’m not seeing moisture beyond 15 to 20 inches.”
The drought wears on farmers, McHargue said. He said he waited one week to plant his crops, hoping for rain beforehand. But that rain didn’t come.
Source: omaha.com
Photo Credit: gettyimages-banksphotos
Categories: Nebraska, Weather