All Entries Tagged With: "Drought"
NWS December Precipitation Summary for Southeast Colorado
Drought Information from National Weather Service December saw some needed snowfall to portions of south central and southeast Colorado. Mountain snowfall for December measured 112% of average, but the statewide snowpack as of January First was still only 70% of average. Precipitation over the southeast plains was spotty and came in near to slightly below […]
2012 Ends with Lowered Precipitation in S.E. Colorado
Statistics provided by the National Weather Service indicates 2012 was an extremely dry year for southeast Colorado, with the exception of Walsh which measured over 17 inches of precipitation for the past year. Trace amounts of moisture were evident in the snowfalls of Christmas and New Year ’s Eve, but otherwise November and December closed […]
2012 in Review – July and August
July 2012 in Review Two persons were hired to key positions in the community in July. John Sutherland of Santa Fe, New Mexico was hired by the Lamar City Council as the new City Administrator, replacing interim administrator, Steven Rabe. Sutherland served as County Manager for Luna County, New Mexico and as City Manager for […]
Crop & Soil Management Practices Following Drought
The current drought conditions have many similarities to the conditions during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. While soil management practices are better today, high temperatures and water shortages this past year created crop losses and poor environmental conditions that echoed the Dust Bowl. The 2012 drought is the combination of a dry fall […]
Drought Expands, Concerns Mount About Wheat and Rivers
The unusual warm weather in the United States this year is affecting the key farm states in the Midwest the hardest. Drought continued to expand through the central United States even as winter weather sets in, wreaking havoc on the nation’s new wheat crop and on movement of key commodities as major shipping waterways grow […]
Dust, Then and Now
Those who watched the Ken Burns documentary on PBS tv earlier this month, “The Dust Bowl” gained a new respect for those who endured those conditions in the 1930s and 1950s in this part of the world. Anyone who was in southeast Colorado or western Kansas this past November 10, got a taste of […]
Drought Impacts Pheasant/Quail Hunting in Eastern CO
DENVER — Bird hunters will continue to work hard in 2012, as the pheasant and quail seasons open Nov. 10. Due to widespread drought, many brood areas were negatively affected, while those close to irrigated cropland succeeded, creating a complicated season for those looking for wing-shooting opportunity. “Populations across the region are much lower than […]
Gov. Hickenlooper Authorizes Relief for Drought-Stricken Ranchers and Livestock Owners
BURLINGTON — Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012 — Gov. John Hickenlooper today announced he signed an Executive Order to suspend permits necessary to authorize transports of large baled hay or baled livestock feed which may exceed lawful maximum height. “Large areas of Colorado have experienced devastating damage from drought. This has severely impacted the ability of Colorado […]
Drought Can Stop a Riverboat. Can It Stop Lamar Racing?
The Lamar Racing Club’s Promotions and Publicity committee met on August 14th to discuss the future of the 2012 race schedule and talked about different ways to promote the races. At issue are the drought, and rumors, “there won’t be races at the Lamar Speedway the rest of the season, because of the water shortage”. […]
Record Heat Continues in S.E. Colorado
Precipitation across Colorado has been tempered by high temperatures and evapotranspiration (ET) rates that are at or above reference high levels for many areas of the state. High ET rates are a contributing factor in crop loss and poor range lands seen across Colorado. Municipalities are reporting increased demand and decreasing storage volumes, yet […]
Repair Work Continues at Two Buttes Reservoir
SPRINGFIELD, Colo. – A project to modernize the ageing dam at Two Buttes Reservoir is back on track after it was slowed by a rain event in April that flooded the work site. Last winter, when Two Buttes was dry, heavy equipment operators built a temporary cofferdam and removed 17 feet of sediment to […]
State Drought Assessment
June 2012 Drought Update for Colorado from Colorado Water Conservation Board— The persistence of above temperatures throughout the state continues to exacerbate persistently dry conditions on the west slope and parts of the eastern plains. Some areas of the state have received good June precipitation. However, high temperatures and winds have decreased the beneficial moisture. […]
NWS-Pueblo Reports Drought on Increase in S.E. Colorado
National Weather Service Drought/Climate Summary as of June 1, 2012 A very warm and unusually dry spring has allowed for drought conditions to persist and advance across south central and southeast Colorado. This past dry spring, coupled with a dry winter has allowed for drought conditions to persist. The current U.S. Drought Monitor has reintroduced […]
NWS Reports Warm & Dry S.E. Colorado in March
March of 2012 was an unusually warm and dry month, across most of south central and southeast Colorado. In Colorado Springs, the average monthly temperature in March was 48.0F. This is 8.9 degrees above normal and makes March of 2012 the warmest on record in Colorado Springs; surpassing the average temperature of 47.4F, recorded in […]
USDA Expects 75-year-high Corn Acreage in 2012
Washington, March 30, 2012 – Driven by favorable prices, U.S. farmers intend to plant 95.9 million acres of corn in 2012, up four percent from 2011, according to the Prospective Plantings report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). If realized, this will be the largest corn acreage in […]
NWS Pueblo Hydrology Update
Hydrology Report from National Weather Service-Pueblo–February 9, 2012 A warm and mainly dry January is keeping much of south central and southeast Colorado in moderate to severe drought. The current U.S. Drought Monitor continues to indicate Extreme Drought (D3) conditions across extreme southeastern Baca County. Severe drought (D2) conditions remain across most of the rest […]
July 4th Holiday, More Drinking, Less Fireworking
Click a picture to see it full siize – Photos by Russ Baldwin Most area residents apparently took notice of the holiday fireworks ban in Lamar and Prowers County. Due to on-going drought conditions, communities in Prowers and Bent County banned several types of fireworks during the holidays. Any type of firework such as regular […]
Southeast Colorado Farmers Eligible for Drought Relief Assistance
U.S. Senator Mark Udall announced on Monday, June 27, that farmers and ranchers in southeastern Colorado counties that have been hard-hit by the drought are now eligible for emergency assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As requested by Gov. John Hickenlooper, the USDA has declared a drought-related disaster in Baca, Crowley, and Otero counties. […]
June Drought Update from CWCB
Arkansas Basin June 11, 2011 – June Drought Update Information Provided by CWCB-Colorado Water Conservation Board Basinwide Conditions Assessment The SWSI value for the month was -1.4. Flow at the gaging station Arkansas River near Portland was 701 cfs, as compared to the long-term average of 1,175 cfs. Storage in Turquoise, Twin Lakes, Pueblo, and […]
Dry Spell Shuts Down Fireworks in Lamar
Press Release on Lamar Fireworks Ban Date: June 17, 2011 With the extremely dry conditions around Southeastern Colorado the fire danger is much greater than usual. We request the community’s cooperation in minimizing the potential for accidental fires in Lamar this Fourth of July. Although City of Lamar Ordinance Number 971 allows certain types […]