ALL Counties are Experiencing Drought -
Every single NC county is experiencing drought, however, 21% of the state’s population is under no watering restrictions. In NC this week: 28 counties are experiencing Exceptional Drought; 31
are experiencing Extreme Drought; 36 are experiencing Severe Drought and 5 are under Moderate Drought (Dare, Hyde, Pamlico, Tyrrell, Washington).
Drought kills business - The drought is hitting ornamental horticulture industry businesses extremely hard in the Southeast. In Atlanta, Pike Nurseries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in mid-November due to the severe drought. The operation, one of the most respected in the US, has 22 locations in AL, GA and NC and employs 750 persons. The company has landed an $11.75 million debtor-in-possession financing facility to fund its operations, including payment of employee wages and benefits, during the reorganization process. According to the court filing, Pike Nursery Holding owes nearly $5.6 million to its 20 largest unsecured creditors.
Water Conservation level status, Statewide
Statewide summary data for tracked water systems*
Legislative Committee to Look at Drought Response – On November 26, the NC Senate President Pro Tempore and House Speaker appointed members to the Joint Select Committee on the Agricultural Drought Response. Senator Charlie Albertson and Representative Ray Rapp were named as Co-chairs for this committee that is to present its recommendations to the full General Assembly by May 1, 2008.
11/12/2007 Jordan Lake Listening Session Nov. 15 - The US Army Corps of Engineers is having a “listening session” where the public may express their views on Jordan Lake recreation and conservation issues. The session will be held November 15, from 6 PM – 8 PM at the Jordan Lake Visitor Assistance Center, 2080 Jordan Dam Road, Moncure. According to the Corps, the meeting is not to discuss water flows or to address the management of the lake during the current drought. The Listening Session is to get the public’s views on the Master Plan for Jordan Lake, which the Corps is updating. The plan guides development and management of land, surface waters, recreational resources and cultural and natural resources, and this will be the first major update since 1982. The Plan update will be available at the meeting, or you can view a copy at the Visitor Assistance Center or the state parks office for Jordan Lake at 280 State Park Road, Apex. More information on the plan and the meeting is at: www.saw.usace.army.mil/jordan/index.htm Click on “Master Plan Meeting.” Comments are due by December 14 and can be sent to the Corps at that Web site or by writing to the attention of Carol Banaitis, B. Everett Jordan Visitor Assistance Center, 2080 Jordan Dam Road, Moncure, N.C. 27559.
11/5/2007 Drought and Water Quality - NC’s persistent drought has already had far-reaching impact on growers, and most likely will continue to do so for the coming growing seasons. What remains of available surface water may be of questionable quality for use in irrigating crops that will be consumed water. Underground water levels are also projected to be affected, particularly if drought conditions continue through the winter. --Annette Dunlap, NCSU
Additional information on growing crops with reduced water availability can be found at:
http:www.umassvegetable.org/soil_crop_pest_mgt/soil_nutrient_mgt/drought_advisory.pdf;
http://lawr.ucdavis.edu/irrigation/irrigation_leaflets/L21466.html ;
and http://sarep.ucdavis.edu/NEWSLTR/v3n3/sa-3.htm
10/23/2007 Governor Calls on Citizens to "Halve-It" by Halloween -- On Monday, Governor Easley called on citizens across the State to cut their water consumption by 50 percent between now and Halloween. Easley said, “Whenever you use water, cut the amount by half, whether it is taking a shower or washing the dishes. We all need to know whether this will be extremely difficult or easily do-able. We need to establish a baseline of water use to determine which water conservation measures are most effective. We likely will spot important trends and pick up valuable conservation methods that communities can share." He also asked each public water system to record the amount of water used daily and report it weekly to his office.
Calling the effort "Operation Halve-It," the governor's office will monitor water consumption by the state's public water systems, and after Halloween, the governor will release a list of those systems that have significantly reduced their consumption. "With a full week's report, we will be able to determine the amount of water saved by each community while our citizens give us their best effort to cut water use by one-half. This will be valuable information to have if we get to a situation where rationing is needed," said Easley. "After Halloween, we may modify this request, depending on the success of 'Operation Halve-It.'"
10/19/2007 NC Still Reporting More Drought Impacts than Any Other State - According to the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), our State is still reporting the largest number of drought impacts in the United States, with NC being the only state in the category of 63 - 78 impacts last week. The numbers of impacts by type are listed as Agriculture - 5, Fire - 4, Water/Energy - 48, Environment - 3, Social - 14 and Other - 4 . These reports come from government agencies and other sources, including visitors to the website. All impact reports submitted via the website are reviewed by NDMC staff members. To report an impact in NC, go to: http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/add.jsp. After a new entry is reviewed and accepted, its impact report will be posted on the map. Public policy makers consult the NDMC's Drought Impact Reporter to help make decisions regarding aid for drought-stricken states. To view the number of impacts by type in your own county: Drought Impact Reporter and check the boxes for the types you are interested in, and a time period, and then place the cursor over your county.
10/16/2007 What Can I Do at Home? – North Carolina is in its worst drought in recorded history. With Governor Easley calling for all citizens to conserve water, many folks are asking what they can do at home. There are several things – from easy, like turning off the water while you brush your teeth or wash your hands – to harder, like refitting your plumbing with low flow fixtures. You can catch rainwater from your gutters and use it to water your flowers and vegetables. Collect water from the bath/shower while waiting for it to heat up and use it for watering plants or cleaning the sink or tub. Conserve water while showering by turning off the water while you lather, and turn it back on to rinse. Reducing showering time to five minutes can save from 20 to 40 gallons of water. And be sure to check for leaking or dripping faucets; you’re literally sending a precious resource down the drain. Here are some websites with many more tips for water conservation at home:
DENR’s Pollution Prevention Pays site: http://p2pays.org/water/TopTen.asp
DENR’s Division of Water Resources: http://www.ncwater.org/Water_Supply_Planning/Water_Conservation/wc_tips.pdf
Water – Use It Wisely – 100 Water Saving Tips: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100ways/se.shtml
Water – Use It Wisely – Family Water Audit: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/familywater/index.shtml
10/16/2007 Easley Urges All Citizens to Conserve Water – In an appearance before the NC League of Municipalities, Governor Mike Easley called on the state’s municipal leaders to take the lead in directing citizens to stop using water for any purpose that is not essential to public health and safety. With NC facing its worst drought in recorded history, Easley urged this action so communities can save their dwindling water supplies and avoid more stringent restrictions. Easley urged those municipalities that had not already done so to adopt voluntary or mandatory restrictions. The State tracks 599 water systems. At the present time, 135 public water systems have enacted voluntary water use restrictions and another 113 systems have put mandatory restrictions in place. About 4.81 million people, or 71 percent of the people served by the water systems the state tracks, are now subject to water use restrictions. These measures include restrictions on lawn watering, car washing and other activities. Many cities have less than three month’s water supply remaining. At this time of year the reserve is usually six months or more. Residents can check the status of their own community’s water conservation measures at: http://www.ncwater.org/Drought_Monitoring/reporting/displaystate.php
10/16/2007 SBA Announces Federal Disaster Loans for Small Businesses -- The US Small Business Administration has announced that federal disaster loans are available to small businesses located in the State of North Carolina as a result of drought and high temperatures that occurred January 1, 2007 and continuing. These loans are available to small businesses located in all counties in the State of North Carolina with the exception of Currituck, Dare, Hyde and Tyrrell. When the US Secretary of Agriculture declared most NC counties agricultural disaster areas, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program became available to farm-related and nonfarm-related small business concerns and small agricultural cooperatives that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. Farmers and ranchers are not eligible to apply to SBA but nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions. Interested business owners should contact SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing-impaired) Monday through Friday from 8AM to 9PM and Saturday from 9AM to 5:30PM EDT. A fact sheet is located at: http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/serv_da_dprep_factsheethome.pdf
10/15/2007 Burning Banned in all 100 Counties - On October 15, DENR Secretary William Ross, issues a statewide ban on burning due to hazardous forest fire conditions and the continuing drought under authority of law (113-60.25 & 113-60.27). The ban does not apply to fires started within 100 ft. of an occupied dwelling, if such fires shall be confined within an enclosure, unless the local Fire Marshal has issued a burn ban. Governor Easley has asked that all local municipalities ban outdoor burning.
10/14/2007 Gov. Easley to Municipalities: Please conserve water - Mike Easley asked municipal leaders to direct citizens to stop using water for any purpose that is not essential to public health and safety to save dwindling water supplies and avoid more restrictions. Much of the state is experiencing a drought that is the worst in recorded history. Winter is forecast to be drier than normal. The governor asks every citizen to save water to avoid a crisis that could lead to rationing. "Several communities have as little as three month’s water supply remaining. [Durham, for instance, has about 2 months of water supply remaining.] If we do not get significant rain, some areas face the once unthinkable possibility of water rationing and potentially running out of water entirely," Easley said. "A bit of mud on the car or patches of brown on the lawn must be a badge of honor. It means you are doing the right thing for your community and our state."
10/10/07 USDA Designates 85 NC Counties Primary Natural Disaster Areas - On September 14, 2007, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture designated 85 counties in North Carolina as primary natural disaster areas. The designations are due to losses caused by drought and high temperatures that
occurred from Jan. 1, 2007, and are continuing. Eleven additional counties were named as natural disaster areas because they are contiguous to these counties. All qualified
farm operators in the designated areas are eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met.
These farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its
own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further
information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. A list of the eligible counties can be found at:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/printapp?fileName=ed_20070914_rel_1521.html&newsType=ednewsre
Additional information is also available online at: http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov
10/10/2007 NC Farmers Eligible for Emergency Conservation Funds - The North Carolina office of the USDA Farm Service Agency has announced that farmers in the following NC counties are eligible for Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) Funds: Cabarrus, Cherokee, Clay, Durham, Gaston, Graham, Henderson, Lincoln, Madison, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Orange, Person, Polk, Richmond, Stanly, Transylvania, and Yancey. Additionally Davidson, Davie, Jackson and Swain are likely to be added to the list shortly. ECP provides emergency funding and technical assistance for farmers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and for carrying out emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought. FSA county committees determine land eligibility based on on-site inspections of damage, taking into account the type and extent of damage.
For land to be eligible, the natural disaster must create new conservation problems that:
10/10/2007 Governor Easley Calls for Regional Cooperation on Drought - Gov. Mike Easley has directed the state divisions of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, Water Resources, and Environmental Health to partner with the NC League of Municipalities to organize regional meetings in communities hardest hit by the drought. The meetings are being held to discuss regional cooperation on water conservation and strategies for identifying supplemental water sources. The collaborative effort was announced as exceptional drought, the worst level in the four-category system, spread to more than half of North Carolina’s 100 counties.
10/10/2007 More Counties Eligible for CRP Haying and Grazing - The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has expanded the list of counties where they are offering producers an opportunity to request permission to conduct emergency haying and grazing on fields enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The list now includes: Alexander, Anson, Cabarrus, Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Franklin, Gaston, Granville, Henderson, Iredell, Lincoln, Madison, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Transylvania, Union, Warren and Wilkes. CRP participants in those counties should contact their local FSA office to learn about the requirements for this opportunity and to place their request for emergency haying and grazing this year. The FSA requires participants to obtain a modification of their CRP conservation plan from NRCS before conducting emergency haying or grazing. Contact your NRCS representative through your local Soil and Water Conservation District to obtain approval of CRP Conservation Plan revisions.
9/19/07 Some NC Stream Flows Lowest Ever Recorded - The lowest-ever average August stream flow was recorded last month at 13 monitoring stations, including nine in central North Carolina, two sites in the coastal plain and two sites in the mountains, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, August stream flows at 17 monitoring stations, most of which are in eastern North Carolina, are lower than those measured during the drought from 1998 to 2002. Many farmers are reporting farm ponds are at a critical stage, with some farmers having to stop irrigation from ponds in order to avoid killing fish.
09/19/07 Expect Local Ordinances Mandating Water Conservation - Gov. Mike Easley has asked local officials who have not already implemented water conservation measures in their cities and counties to do so immediately. Based on this request from the Governor, additional local ordinances may be adopted by cities and counties imposing water conservation. This may happen very quickly without much review to consider the potential impact on plant nurseries, truck crops, livestock, etc. New ordinances are most likely to affect those producers who depend on public water supplies or community water systems.
9/14/07 NC Reports Most Drought Impacts of Any State - According to the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), our state has reported the largest number of drought impacts in the United States, with NC being the only state in the category of 53 - 66 impacts. The number of impacts are listed as Agriculture - 6, Fire - 9, Water/Energy - 28, Environment - 5, Social - 10 and Other - 8. These reports come from government agencies and other sources, including visitors to the website. All impact reports submitted via the website are reviewed by NDMC staff members. To report an impact in NC, go to: http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/add.jsp After a new entry is reviewed and accepted, its impact report will be posted on the map. Public policy makers consult the NDMC's Drought Impact Reporter to help make decisions regarding aid for drought-stricken states. The NDMC's activities include maintaining an information clearinghouse; drought monitoring, including participation in the preparation of the U.S. Drought Monitor and maintenance of the U.S. Drought Monitor website (http://drought.unl.edu/dm)
10/10/2007 UPDATE NRCS Approves Using Dry Stacks for Hay Storage -- NRCS has revised the end date for the exception that allows hay storage in dry stacks to April 30, 2008. This revised date is to be consistent with action taken by the NC Soil and Water Conservation Commission allowing a similar exception until April 30, 2008 for dry stacks cost-shared through the NC Agriculture Cost Share Program for Nonpoint Source Pollution.
09/04/2007 NC CES Posts Helpful Drought Info – The NC Cooperative Extension Service has posted information designed to help Cooperative Extension professionals and farmers deal with the 2007 drought situation. There are numerous topics covered ranging from drought management for cotton production to income tax issues of weather-related sales of livestock and timber. CES will update the site as new information is available. To view the site, go to: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/disaster/drought/
08/31/07 Turfgrass Irrigation Management Tool Available -- The NCSU Department of Crop Science and the State Climate Office have collaborated to launch an Internet-based decision aide that will help lawn and turf managers irrigate efficiently. The Turf Irrigation Management System (TIMS) is available at no cost to anyone in North Carolina, from homeowners to turf professionals. The TIMS Web site, www.TurfFiles.ncsu.edu/TIMS, guides turf managers through a step-by-step process that ultimately will help them determine how to improve irrigation practices and conserve water. This tool was developed in response to the need to manage water efficiently, not just during the drought but at all times. These practices can save both energy and water.
08/31/2007 Cattle Farmers Hard Hit -- Cattle farmers are particularly hard hit by the drought, with many facing the decision to either purchase feed or sell their cattle. The NC Cattlemen's Association is estimating that as many as 30 percent of NC farmers currently raising cattle could abandon cattle production without some feed assistance. Also, concerns have been raised that farms in urban areas are likely to succumb to development pressure once cattle production is no longer profitable on those acres. While 10,000 bales of hay were moved to drought areas in 2002, it is projected that as many as 800,000 bales of hay or hay alternatives will be needed this year in drought stricken areas for livestock feed.
Additional Drought Information
09/04/2007 FSA Designates Counties for CRP Haying and Grazing -- The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is offering producers in the following North Carolina counties an opportunity to request permission to conduct emergency haying and grazing on fields enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): Anson, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Madison, Mecklenburg, Richmond, Rowan Rutherford, and Stanly. CRP participants in those counties should contact their local FSA office to learn about the requirements for this opportunity and to place their request for emergency haying and grazing this year. The FSA requires participants to obtain a modification of their CRP conservation plan from NRCS before conducting emergency haying or grazing. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff has coordinated with FSA's program managers to develop the technical specifications that provide CRP participants with mandatory CRP program policies, technical requirements from NRCS's Field Office Technical Guide, and technical recommendations for maximizing livestock feed from CRP. Contact your NRCS representative through your local Soil and Water Conservation District to obtain approval of CRP Conservation Plan revisions.
08/27/2007 NCDA&CS Activates Hay Alert -- The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has activated its Hay Alert system in an effort to bring together farmers in need of hay with those who have hay for sale. If farmers have hay for sale or need hay, NCDA&CS will list their names, addresses and other pertinent information. It will then be the responsibility of the buyers and sellers to negotiate sales. Farmers should exercise diligence in all of these transactions. The Hay Alert website has a caution regarding a scam that has been perpetrated in the past regarding fake or inflated cashiers checks from phony buyers. The Hay Alert website is at: http://www.ncagr.com/HayAlert/ Buyers or sellers can submit their information online by filling in a form or by calling toll-free 1-866-506-6222 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
08/31/2007 Cautions to Farmers Who Harvest Crops for Hay – NCDA&CS has cautioned farmers who supply or accept hay that there are
some precautions they need to take. For example, if farmers consider using a damaged crop, such as corn and soybeans, for other uses and the crop is covered by insurance, they need to talk
with their insurance agent first. Farmers need to take steps to protect the integrity of their crop insurance claims and to remain eligible for a potential loss payment. NC Cooperative
Extension specialists urge farmers to guard their livestock against nitrates, aflatoxin or crop protection chemicals that could be in forage material and could harm their animals. The
NCDA&CS Food and Drug Protection Division offers free testing of forage for nitrates and aflatoxin. If farmers purchase hay from outside their home county, they also need to take
precautions against transporting noxious weeds or fire ants in forage material.
To find aflatoxin testing sites go to: http://www.ncagr.com/paffairs/release/2007/8-07aflatoxin.htm
09/07/2007 Hay Alternative Field Days -- NCDA&CS and the Cooperative Extension service have held five field days across the state for farmers interested in baling corn stover and soybeans as hay alternatives for livestock feed. There were baling demonstrations, presentations on feeding guidelines, equipment displays, and more activities at each field day. Press interest was high and several stories about the predicament of farmers have appeared in print, on radio and television. More workshops may be scheduled, so continue to check with your regional agronomist or extension agent to find out if there will be additional dates or go to the following webpage for workshop specific information: http://www.ncagr.com/drought/workshops.htm
08/28/2007 Easley Orders Waiver of Some Highway Size and Weight Restrictions – On August 28, Gov. Mike Easley issued an executive order waiving certain highway size and weight restrictions for trucks to help with drought relief efforts for farmers. The order remains in effect for 30 days and allows vehicles transporting hay or water along North Carolina roadways to drought-stricken counties to exceed the normal size and weight restrictions. The waiver allows trucks to have the maximum gross weight criteria established by the manufacturer or 90,000 pounds, whichever is less, with a tandem axle weight of up to 42,000 pounds and a single axle weight up to 22,000 pounds. A vehicle may be 12 feet in width and 75 feet in length. Under normal circumstances, trucks can have up to 80,000 pounds total gross weight, a tandem axle weight of 38,000 pounds and 20,000 pounds for a single axle. The normal size regulations are a width of eight feet, six inches and a length of 70 feet. These exemptions allow more hay and water to be transported during each shipment. An exempted vehicle must produce identification verifying its load will be used for emergency relief efforts associated with the drought.
08/27/2007 Grazing and Haying CRP Land in NC – The State FSA Committee has the authority to approve grazing and haying of CRP land in counties that have D3 (extreme) or D4 Drought (exceptional) designation. The local FSA must request allowance of grazing and haying on CRP land for this to occur. In July, USDA released information regarding the limitations on such haying and grazing. Only livestock operations are eligible for emergency haying or grazing of CRP acreage. CRP participants who do not own or lease livestock may rent or lease the grazing privilege to an eligible livestock farmer located in an approved county. Producers with CRP acreage that is hayed or grazed will be assessed a ten percent reduction in their annual rental payment. In order to stay in compliance with your CRP contract, contact your local FSA office for requirements and for additional information.
08/27/2007 Maintaining Compliance with HEL regulations, EQIP and CSP Contracts - A notice titled "Maintain Highly Erodible Land Compliance When Corn Stover or Soybeans Are Harvested for Livestock Feed During the 2007 Crop-Year" was been posted on the NRCS homepage on Monday, August 27. NC Farm Bureau contacted Congressman McIntyre's office to request that these crop residue requirements for conservation compliance be addressed. Further, we requested NRCS to address the procedures necessary for those farmers with federal cost share contracts if they remove crop residues. The notice explains how planting cover crops or adding a small grain crop to the rotation in 2007 will provide a comparable level of erosion protection to any field where an existing Highly Erodible Land Conservation Plan specifies maintenance of residue. Substitution of those practices can maintain compliance without issuing variances or completing a plan revision. In addition, the notice indicates a necessity for cover crop planting on fields enrolled in EQIP contracts for Long Term no-Till and CSP contracts for Soil Quality Enhancement in order to provide the high level of ground cover required at planting time in 2008. To view a copy of the notice, go to: ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NC/NCweb/Programs/compliance/drought07-corn-bean-hay.pdf
08/27/2007 Special Corn Stover Removal Guidance for Animal Operations – The SB 1217 Interagency Committee has issued special guidance for animal operations to aid them in documenting
removal of corn stover for feed and has included a possible nutrient offset option for the subsequent winter small grain crop. NCFB was involved in the discussions that lead to this special
guidance. There is a form (STOVER-1) that must be used to document the corn stover removal in order for farmers to be able to take advantage of the nitrogen offset on the subsequent crop. For
more information, contact your Regional Agronomist, technical specialist, your local soil and water conservation district or county extension office.
Click here for the corn stover guidance.
Click here for the STOVER-1 form.
Water Conservation Management Plans Required - Earlier this year, the Environmental Management Commission adopted the NC Water Conservation Rule. Part of the rule requires farmers to prepare a water conservation management plan (drought management plan) and to implement the plan when a drought is declared in your area. Only farmers who use more than 1 million gallons of water per day for any one day during the year are required to prepare such a plan. Farmers who need to develop a plan are encouraged to work with their local Soil & Water specialists or Extension agents in developing plans. For more information, go to the following website http://www.ncwater.org/ or contact Mitch Peele, at NCFB.
