Board of Supervisors’Update of Current Drought Conditions

June 22, 2006Compiled by:

Michael Fisher – ANR Extension Agent

Ashley Noce - ANR Extension Intern

Input From Farming Community• First cutting hay production reduced

– Farmer “guestimates” range from 15 to 60% reduction– Most claim 25 to 35% reduction– Many farmers do not expect to get a second cutting

• Grass re-growth limited– Neither pastures nor hay are re-vegetating well

• Springs & wells reduced or dry– USDA office receiving water assistance requests

• Feeding livestock– Several farmers started haying cattle in past two

weeks– Best grazing estimate that I have heard this week is

30 to 40 days of grass left • (This is from a dairy specializing in grazing management.)

Excerpts from State & Federal Reports

• Pulaski County @ D0 on the edge of D1 for both an agricultural drought & a hydrological drought– US Drought Monitor – June 22, 2006

• YTD statewide precipitation only 68% of normal – Drought Monitoring Task Force – Drought Status

Report – June 19, 2006

• Due to accumulated shortfalls, precipitation for June & July would have to in at least the 90th percentile to prevent continuation of an agricultural drought.– State Climatologist Report – May 19, 2006

-3.5

-3

-2.5

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

Inches

Jun-05

Jul-05

Aug-05

Sep-05

Oct-05

Nov-05

Dec-05

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Month

Town of Pulaski Precipitation Departure From Normal

Source: National Weather Service – Climate Data Accessed 6/22/06

http://drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

River Discharge Information

Past 31 DaysAs of 6/22/06

Streamflow Gage Percentiles

• Representative Streamflows Above 25% - Normal

• Representative Streamflows Between 10th & 25th - Drought Watch

• Representative Streamflows Between 5th & 10th - Drought Warning

• Representative Streamflows Below 5th – Drought Emergency

Reed Creek - Grahams Forge, VA Reed Creek

Percentile: 4%

Discharge: 72 cfs

Average: 135 cfs

Class: Maroon

As of 6/22/06

Record Low: 70 cfs

Reed Creek is the drought indication gage for the New River Drought Evaluation Region.

New River - Ivanhoe, VA

Percentile: 19%

Discharge: 924 cfs

Average: 1460 cfs

Class: Orange

As of 6/22/06

Record Low: 635 cfs

New River - Allisonia, VA

Percentile: 11%

Discharge: 1130 cfs

Average: 2250 cfs

Class: Orange

As of 6/22/06

Record Low: 698 cfs

New River - Radford, VA

Percentile: 7%

Discharge: 1110 cfs

Average: 2890 cfs

Class: Maroon

As of 6/22/06

Record Low: 992 cfs

Little River - Graysontown, VA Little River

Percentile: 10%

Discharge: 126 cfs

Average: 257 cfs

Class: Orange

As of 6/22/06

Record Low: 93 cfs