The drought continues

[daugen]

Despite Heavy Rains, Drought Persists | Weather Underground

my heart goes out to the folk in Georgia and the MidWest who seem to still be burning up.
I know farmers are always faced with weather challenges, but I wonder if some of these folk think the Dust Bowl
is coming. Will our future require substantially more irrigation? Do we have the water resources to support it?

Wondering how you guys in the dry areas are making out, and as I worry about leaving tracks in the mud, I sure wish I could send some moisture
your way.

are there more drought resistant crops that a farmer can switch to and still work the land profitably?
And then there's the dairy industry which is really hard hit by all this too. Must be a lot of hay and feed getting trucked in.

 

[sweettractors]

We were 11 inches behind in rainfall as of 11-15-12. I am thankful to say that as of today we are caught up and back to normal. Lets hope everyone gets the rain they need. Ken Sweet

 

[daugen]

as smart as we are, which is really debatable, why on an earth that is mostly water haven't we figured out how to redistribute it properly?
Frankly I'd rather have money used on improving that situation than trying to find historic water on the Moon or Mars.

 

[murphy1244]

as smart as we are, which is really debatable, why on an earth that is mostly water haven't we figured out how to redistribute it properly?
Frankly I'd rather have money used on improving that situation than trying to find historic water on the Moon or Mars.

You know there's a political joke in there somewhere.

 

[dave1949]

as smart as we are, which is really debatable, why on an earth that is mostly water haven't we figured out how to redistribute it properly?
Frankly I'd rather have money used on improving that situation than trying to find historic water on the Moon or Mars.

LOL First, we would have to be smart enough to go where the water is, not where it isn't.

 

[lakngulf]

You know there's a political joke in there somewhere.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[DKCDKC]

Right on dave1949. Southern California ... Millions of people living in a desert. Water brought in from more fertile areas hundreds of miles away.

Like most raised on a farm, I had drought. We went through almost five years of drought here in Virginia the first years of this century. I hated it. There is something about hearing the rain, feeling it on your skin that is so essential to comfort and happiness.

We're behind in rainfall for last year and this... Hoping for spring rains to get us back on track. Big snowstorm forecast yesterday gave us an inch. I've about given up on snow for this year.

 

[dave1949]

Right on dave1949. Southern California ... Millions of people living in a desert. Water brought in from more fertile areas hundreds of miles away.

Like most raised on a farm, I had drought. We went through almost five years of drought here in Virginia the first years of this century. I hated it. There is something about hearing the rain, feeling it on your skin that is so essential to comfort and happiness.

We're behind in rainfall for last year and this... Hoping for spring rains to get us back on track. Big snowstorm forecast yesterday gave us an inch. I've about given up on snow for this year.

It is a shame that drought is now affecting areas where normally there is sufficient rainfall. There is still a long-term deficit of fresh water to deal with in many areas. I would rather see conservation measures than redistribution.

Every couple of years, the idea of drawing water from the Great Lakes via pipelines is floated. The Lakes are now at historic lows themselves, and a plan like that would have to involve Canada's interests too. I fear it would be an ecological disaster, the costs of which would never show up on a water bill in Arizona.

I can't see the wisdom of taking water from the Great Lakes so people can have green lawns in the desert. If the uses of redistributed water were strictly controlled, say for agriculture and food production, that would be different, maybe.

 

[daugen]

The Army Corp of Engineers is frantically dredging the Mississippi, the Great Lakes has dropped what, a foot and a half?
All those fixed docks up in the air...hello down there to the boat.

Taking water from inland reservoirs has to be a last resort. We have a couple of very big oceans out there with plenty of water for us to drink,
and we'd better started tapping it, because unlike the lakes, the oceans are going UP.
Seems to me some big solar powered desalination plants would help; guess we ought to call up our close friends in Dubai and see how they do it.

I'm a little concerned that all the fracking going on isn't going to be good for the overall water supply either.
If more land goes under irrigation, the supply below us is often questionable.

 

[Dan Hunter]

This is the second year my pond has been dry most of the year. Even the native grass has suffered. I'm beginning to worry about the viability of the hardwood trees on my ranch.