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We select interesting and representative drought stories from all over the U.S. and around the world. We group them into the same categories that the Drought Impact Reporter uses, as well as a few others. Subscribe to Drought Headlines 
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Drought Headlines Archive
General Awareness
Low snowpack sets records
Telluride Daily Planet (Colorado), May 01, 2012
Colorado
Snowpack in the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan river basins in southwestern Colorado was at 29 percent of average, a record low.
Arizona just gets drier this year
azcentral.com (Phoenix, Arizona), Mar 06, 2012
Arizona
Rain last fell in Phoenix on December 18. Snowpack in the state was 54 percent of average.
Climatologist sees signs of looming drought
WCFCourier.com (Waterloo, Iowa), Mar 03, 2012
Iowa
Elwynn Taylor, climatologist and agronomist from Iowa State University anticipates drought development in the Midwest. Eight hundred years’ worth of tree ring data for the Corn Belt shows drought occurrence every 19 years on average and the longest span between droughts of 23 years. It has been 23 years since the intense drought of 1988.
Agriculture
Ranchers concerned about drought, hay yield
The Billings Gazette (Montana), Apr 26, 2012
Wyoming
The low snowpack has ranchers worried that there may be insufficient hay like in 2002. Livestock producers were thinking about alternate plans for feed or moving their livestock if conditions do not improve.
Berry crop smaller this year, but good
Tahlequah Daily Press (Oklahoma), Apr 26, 2012
Eastern Oklahoma
Drought killed up to half of the strawberry vines in some producers’ fields in 2011, leading to a smaller crop this year.
Business & Industry
Disasters doom Texas oyster crop
USA Today, Dec 15, 2011
Texas Gulf Coast
The closure of the coastal oyster beds has hurt the oyster industry, putting fishermen and oyster processors and shippers out of work and cutting into area businesses’ bottom lines.
Energy
Record heat could lead to outages
San Antonio Express-News (Texas), Feb 09, 2012
Texas
The state was already bracing for another hot summer, fearing that they may face rolling outages. Since extra power generation is not a possibility this summer, they’ll be relying on conservation.
Texas drought endangers power projects
Odessa American Online (Texas), Nov 02, 2011
Texas
Energy projects across Texas were struggling to find water supplies and were finding themselves at odds with Texans over the water needed to operate the plants. Groups concerned about the water supply were pushing government agencies to deny construction permits to potential power plants and were litigating to keep power plants out of some communities deemed to be short of water.
Drought could pose problems for Texas power plants
Brownsville Herald (Texas), Sep 19, 2011
Texas
Some plants in east Texas were using water from alternative water sources. There could be several thousand fewer megawatts generated if the drought continues until next summer.
Conflict ebbs as Missouri River rises
Aberdeen American News (SD), Aug 02, 2010
Missouri River basin
The Western Area Power Administration purchased over $1.5 billion of power since 2000 due to low hydropower generation during roughly a decade of drought.
Fire
Grass and brush fires spike as region dries out
Austin American-Statesman (Texas), May 01, 2012
Vicinity of Austin, Texas
The number of wildfires in Austin and Travis County climbed from just 29 in March to 87 fires in April. The month of April was the second driest since records were kept, with just 0.22 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
Feds prepare for another busy US fire season
KansasCity.com (Missouri), Apr 26, 2012
U.S.
Drought will increase the fire danger in parts of the U.S., leading officials to predict an active fire season and unusual fire behavior like that in 2011.
Drought has state cutting down on prescribed burns
The Palm Beach Post News (Florida), Apr 24, 2012
Florida
Drought conditions prevented Florida authorities from accomplishing as much prescribed burning as they would have liked to do because the fire danger is too high.
Officials say brush-fire risk high
Greenwich Time (Connecticut), Apr 17, 2012
Connecticut
Dry conditions and the elevated fire danger prompted New Milford officials to stop issuing burning permits. The Danbury fire chief stated that many of the streams and ponds that usually have accessible water for firefighting on the southern edge of Danbury were dry.
Plants & Wildlife
Big Bend landscape evolves with harsh weather
The Bryan College Station Eagle (Texas), Apr 30, 2012
West Texas
Drought and a recent harsh freeze killed many desert plants in the Big Bend National Park, changing the landscape, according to a federal botanist. Huge die-offs of creosote bush and lechuguilla occurred, while oak, madrone, piqon and juniper trees died also.
Wildlife feels the strain of South Florida's drier-than-usual spring
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com, Apr 23, 2012
South Florida
Precipitation has been less than half of normal since November 2011 in South Florida. As a result, Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades have less water, leaving the wildlife to adjust as best as it can to the conditions.
Hard times for vernal habitat
Gloucester Times (Massachusetts), Apr 18, 2012
Northeastern Massachusetts
Vernal pools in the Cape Ann area held insufficient water for amphibians to lay their eggs and keep the eggs moist until they hatch. Many spotted salamander eggs dried up from the lack of water, stated a habitat resource specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Drought brings outbreak of horse disease
KansasCity.com (Missouri), Apr 17, 2012
Arkansas, Louisiana
Veterinarians in Arkansas and Louisiana were told to be on the lookout for signs of pigeon fever among horses again this summer if drought affects their states. Pigeon fever causes large abscesses in the chest and abdomen of affected horses, often during dry weather, and can be fatal whether it is treated or not.
Relief, Response, & Restrictions
Oviedo declares state of emergency for drought
Bay News 9 (St. Petersburg, Florida), May 03, 2012
East central Florida
The dearth of rain and increased fire risk led to the 30-day state of emergency declaration by the city of Oviedo.
Valley cities prep for drought, water conservation
Fresno Bee (Calif.), Mar 25, 2012
California
Lindsay and Orange Cove anticipated getting just 35 percent of their usual water allotment from the Friant-Kern Canal since the Bureau of Reclamation announced reduced water deliveries.
Marin County declares drought emergency
San Jose Mercury News (California), Mar 21, 2012
Central coast of California
Despite last week’s deluge, the Marin County Board of Supervisors declared a drought emergency in hopes of receiving state or federal aid if/when it becomes available. Pasture grass production was down 50 percent from the lack of rain.
Dry winter means tough times along the Klamath
SFGate.com (San Francisco, California), Mar 21, 2012
Klamath River Basin in southern Oregon, northern California
Klamath County commissioners made a drought declaration to prepare the way for possible state and federal drought declarations and access to aid programs and pumping from emergency wells since there was insufficient water to satisfy farmers and salmon in the Klamath River Basin. Meanwhile, officials in Humboldt County, California and the Hoopa Valley Tribe were seeking more water for salmon in the Trinity River because record numbers of salmon were expected to spawn this season. The executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association stated that farmers were in a bind, not knowing whether to plant crops or farm outside of the project, since farmers with junior water rights were cautioned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that they may not receive irrigation water this growing season.
Push Comes to Shove Over Water Restrictions
The New York Times, Mar 17, 2012
Texas
The Texas Supreme Court ruled in February that landowners owned the groundwater beneath their land, meaning that they can use it or pump it as they choose without limit. But some groundwater districts have limits on pumping and are requiring irrigators to purchase and install water meters with the intent of regulating water use to prolong the life of the Ogallala Aquifer, in particular. Texas is virtually the only state that permits landowners to pump without restriction, according to the article. The cotton farmer quoted at the beginning of the article asserted that he could not have produced a crop last year with the water restrictions imposed by the water district.
Society & Public Health
Feds Close Hiking Trails in National Forests
Newstalk 860 (Lufkin, Texas), Apr 30, 2012
East Texas
The U.S. Forest Service intends to clear dead trees within 150 feet of the perimeter of trail heads and hunter camps in two national forests to minimize danger from falling trees. Millions of trees died during drought in Texas in 2011.
Prices for beef up, are likely to remain high
Toledo Blade (Ohio), Apr 17, 2012
U.S.
The price of ground beef continued to climb to a new high of $3.02 per pound in March 2012, an uptick of 11 percent compared to prices in 2011 and 35 percent more expensive than in 2010. Drought in 2011 pushed beef prices higher as livestock producers had to sell their livestock since grass wasn't growing and stock ponds were going dry.
Another Haboob-heavy summer possible under drought conditions
East Valley Tribune Tempe (Arizona), Mar 21, 2012
Arizona
More dust storms are expected this summer since drought conditions remain in East Valley. Poor air quality from the dust storms last summer led to more problems with asthma, COPD and Valley Fever, a lung disease stemming from fungal spores.
If you're sniffling from allergies, blame the drought
Abilene Reporter-News (Texas), Mar 15, 2012
Texas
Plenty of airborne dust, in addition to pollen, was responsible for the early and severe start to the allergy season, according to an ear, nose and throat specialist in Abilene.
Officials urge caution following rabies outbreak
Clovis News Journal (New Mexico), Mar 12, 2012
Eastern New Mexico
A rabies outbreak in Eddy County, affecting 25 skunks, a fox and a dog that all tested positive for rabies, may be related to drought, theorized the state public health veterinarian. Health officials in the eastern part of the state warned people to be careful to minimize possibility of exposure.
Tourism & Recreation
Minnesota triathlon canceled because of low water
Duluth News Tribune (Minnesota), Apr 19, 2012
Vicinity of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Turtle Lake is low from the lack of rainfall, prompting officials to call off a triathlon that was scheduled for this summer.
Region's drought squeezes out trout
The Day (New London, Connecticut), Apr 19, 2012
Connecticut
Low water levels in parts of Connecticut meant that there was too little water for stocking trout, leading to other areas with adequate water to be stocked with more fish than planned. Water supplies and drought conditions are being closely monitored throughout the state.
Most Colorado ski areas tally drought of skiers through February
The Denver Post (Colorado), Mar 17, 2012
Colorado
The meager snowfall cut into visitation at Vail Resorts’ four ski areas by 8.8 percent through the end of January and at Colorado Ski Country’s 22 member resorts by 7.4 percent through the end of February.
Texas drought forces suspension at fish hatchery
Austin American-Statesman (Texas), Mar 15, 2012
Northern Texas
The Dundee State Fish Hatchery closed because Lake Kemp was too low to ensure adequate water for operation. If the lake level were to decline by another foot, the hatchery would lose authorization to use lake water.
Snow drought hammers snowmobile industry
Stowe Reporter (Vermont), Feb 23, 2012
Vermont
Revenues from snow mobile pass sales and snow-dependent recreational activities were down in Vermont, due to the lack of snow.
Water Supply & Quality
Corps of Engineers begins drought operations
Columbus Ledger Enquirer (Georgia), May 01, 2012
Apalachicola River in Florida panhandle
The Army Corps of Engineers reduced flows in the Apalachicola River to a minimum flow of 5,000 feet per second to keep as much water as possible in reservoirs. The minimum flow is thought to be enough water to sustain threatened and endangered species in the river.
Denver Water users asked to watch usage following drought declaration
The Denver Post (Colorado), May 01, 2012
Denver, Colorado
Denver Water ratcheted up their regular summer water restrictions that began May 1 to encourage residents to conserve more water since the snowpack was thin. Summer restrictions normally allow residents to water lawns up to three times weekly, but the tighter restrictions permit outdoor watering just twice weekly for a slightly shorter duration. Meager snowfall this winter moved Denver Water to ask water customers in late April to reduce water use outdoors by watering no more than twice per week and for a slightly shorter duration.
Aquifer Plummeting, Stage Two Water Restrictions Loom
92.5 The Patriot (San Antonio, Texas), Apr 27, 2012
San Antonio, Texas
Although San Antonio just went to stage one restrictions ten days ago, the Edwards Aquifer fell to 650.5 feet on April 26, just above the trigger for stage two restrictions at 650 feet.
Colorado rivers, streams may get boost from lease of water rights
The Denver Post (Colorado), Apr 26, 2012
Colorado
The Colorado Water Trust is seeking water rights holders willing to temporarily lease water rights to allow water to flow in streams and rivers to benefit wildlife rather than withdrawing the water for municipal and agricultural use. The mountain snowpack was 39 percent of normal.
International
It's raining, again: Britain endures damp drought
BusinessWeek (New York, New York), May 04, 2012
United Kingdom
The Met Office stated that the country received 5 inches of rain or nearly twice the monthly average in April, making it the wettest April in the last 100 years. Water restrictions remained in effect.
Drought leaves 680,000 thirsty in S China
China Daily USA (New York, New York), May 04, 2012
China
The Guangxi Zhuang region and Guizhou province were short of water, spurring water transports to some areas.
Drought leaves mark on Chile’s wines
DAWN.COM (Karachi, Pakistan), May 03, 2012
Chile
The grapes just picked at the end of March had a different color, flavor and aroma than usual, due to drought. These differences will be evident in the wines produced from the grapes.
Research
Mild drought caused Maya collapse in Mexico, Guatemala
BBC News (London, England), Feb 23, 2012
Mexico, Guatemala
Research carried out at the Yucatan Centre for Scientific Research in southern Mexico and the University of Southampton in the UK refuted the notion that severe drought conditions led to the demise of the Maya civilization.
Study: Navajo dunes spreading; reservation at risk
The Santa Fe New Mexican (N.M.), Oct 30, 2011
Navajo Nation in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah
Sand dunes are growing and becoming more mobile than in the past due to a drier climate, according to a ten year study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Mitigation
Ranchers consider using cotton plants as food
Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Nov 03, 2011
Central Texas
Cotton plants tested by a nutritionist found that the plants provide adequate protein and could be used as a good energy source for cattle.
Study shows heifers don’t have to be pigs at the feed bunk
Billings Gazette (Mont.), Oct 02, 2011
Research from Montana State University
Heifers can consume 20 percent less during the seven month period between weaning and breeding without any ill effects. This discovery could benefit producers during drought, allow them to purchase less hay and save money.
Spring flow sales tax increase closer
San Antonio Express-News, Feb 11, 2011
San Antonio and vicinity
There is discussion about raising the sales tax by one-quarter of a cent to pay for a mitigation plan to protect San Marcos and Comal springs during drought.
Drought Headlines Archive
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