US Drought Monitor

Here's the national drought status as of right now:

http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/caes/drought/links/ndmlink.htm

Terri

We're in the "Moderate Drought" area here. I'd believe it. We've had an inch in the last 3 and a half weeks. :(

Here's another good website that will give you a slew of interesting climate data. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ol/climate/climatedata.html#VIS

Dave

You notice the southwest isnt considered in a drought.Probably because that it IS our permanent condition.

Huh, I was truly wondering about that. Having lived in the southwest for a while, I know that the region basically stays in a drought all the time.

I was wondering why it didn't show up on that map. :-) I guess the gov't means drought to be a region receiving less rainfall than is normally expected.

Mirriam-Webster defines drought as: "a period of dryness especially when prolonged that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth."

So, ya'll should have been included on the map!

Dave

Thanks for the thought Dave. I don't feel too left out! Well it only damages the plants that are not native here. You know, the ones that I put here. I am the only thing that keeps them alive. If I were not here they would all perish! So another reason for the traditional gardeners to learn a little about Xeriscaping!!

In my area, we tend to get more annual moisture from snow than rain (NW NV, 4300' elevation), and currently are c. 1/3 of normal moisture.
I've dug a lot of composting straw into garden plots, and depending on weather may plan to have more midspring and fall/overwintering veggies than summer crops. Hope to have tomatoes and okra and chile peppers this summer, though, and maybe a small corn patch, but may provide some cheesecloth shade for the rhubarb and asparagus this summer, as last summer's midday sun was hard on them--even though they get some partial shade from neighbor's trees.
An inch of rain in three and a half weeks would be a wet month for us!
Warier than usual of fire season this year--state and other areas planning to increase firefighter hiring. Also have been noticing No.Cal. utilities will be receiving less power than previous years from upper Pacific Northwest/Washington due to drought conditions there.
I've been trimming/cutting down older inherited trees on the place that are near power lines--also because I want to reserve some water for my little tree seedlings that will be replacing some of the less desired older/dying trees, but in different location--and am irked with adjacent neighbor whose trees' limbs surround power lines, and who burns leaves, etc. without having hose connected and a person outside watching the burning, especially when the wind is coming up.. (Guess I was permanently scared by the Oakland CA fire report some years ago, and the No. Cal. PG&E powerline/trees fires.)
Anyone else remember the water rationing some years back?


This message was edited Friday, May 4th 12:24 AM

Haven't checked agricultural commodity prices' forecasts (futures trading) in a few weeks, but between power shortages, gasoline prices, and some reports that some farmers are turning to less water intensive crops, expect probable food price rise by late summer/early fall if the weather, gas, electric conditions continue.
I did order some dehydrated/staple stuff from a feedstore a few weeks ago for my fall/winter pantry--a bit early, but thought it might be worthwhile to beat future price rise, and definitely cheaper than supermarket current prices, and also am keeping an eye out for any bargain-priced sealed Y2K dehydrated foodstuff in the No.10 cans or lidded buckets (that I might use) at garage sales and supermarket remainder area, as most of it has several years' shelflife. (Incidentally, www.waltonfeed.com gives the expected shelf life of unopened #10 cans and lidded buckets' food supplies--truly amazing how long some of the stuff is expected to last. I don't know if some of the other dehydrated/freezedried websites list it also.)
And if water supply permits, I'll happily plant lots of squash,and extra green beans and tomatoes, so it can follow the spinach/Swiss chard/other spring greens. Plant a row for the hungry thing, no local food bank in my semi-rural neighborhood, but senior center next to library in nearby town said they'd love garden produce donations.

Tashak, I have lived in Ca. Scince I was 7. Yes I do remember water rationing. We live right up against the Joshua Tree National Monument. We have almost had to evacuate our house due to wildfire 2 years now. The last fire was started ,by someones lawnmower sparking. Some of the fires are started by lightning. I am surprise anyone is allowed to burn leaves there . It is illegal here. No fireworks too. I have spoken to several neighbors here about illegal fireworks. Children mostly. With no attending parents no less(in the house oblivious to what their kids are doing). Then I have called the Fire Dept . When my discussion was ignored. Now what a great idea to give to the senior center. I always have extra. How thoughtful of you.
I have been through a couple of good earthquakes. And a good survival kit. Can be in the trunk of your car.A well stocked camper, or motorhome. And your pantry filled with lots of canned goods.

(I too am in the High Desert 3500 feet. Joshua Tree,Ca.
So it sounds like we have very simular conditions. Hope to hear alot more from you Tashak, It is very hard to find Desert Gardeners! Especially High Desert. I am in a cap in the mountains above Palm Springs. So my weather forcast is inaccurate it shows P.S. which is sea level. 20 degrees cooler. And really a white sand desert. Just creosote bushes! But they have golf coarses planted down there!
Our water here is more expensive. I have to conserve as much as I can. No lawns here. Manicured dirt mostly. I would love to mow a lawn instead of hula hoe the dirt and rake!!!!

Thanks, Terri and Dave for the hyperlinks. Weather extremes are seemingly to be expected with global warming...already they are predicting a huge increase in tornados this year while droughts continue to haunt large sections of the country.

Drought will only accerbate the energy problems out west especially in the PNW and adjacent Canada which have always sold excess power capacity to the drier and more populated SW States. Woe is me! :-(

Now Marshseed, dont worry , it will be OK!That is why this Xeriscaping Forum is such a necessity . Dont let these things get you worried. I remember when I was a litte girl, the ecological fear was we were heading for and ICEAGE, now with the greenhouse effect, it must have counter-acted the Iceage effect! hee hee. And of coarse all this worry to about a meteor hitting us! Its not that I dont take these threats sereously, I just try to adjust . I now have learned to conserve my energy , and its a lower bill than I have ever had. And my water bill is lower too. The media and scientists are always throwing doom and gloom at us.
I have been through a 7.6 earthquake and after that, and its thousands of aftershocks, rattling my nerves. I have decided to not live in fear of what might happen. If its my time , then I will go. Until then ONWARD with conservation efforts, and enjoy while I am alive. Xeriscaping can bring a very low maintanance garden.

Whew, thanks, Michele5000! Safe at last in the past (what we used to say in the 60s).

I agree, xeriscaping and conservation are the waves of now and of the future (unless you live in the UK where bog gardening may be more appropriate.) I've been a prof. landscaper and gardener in S.Cal since the mid 1970s and earned my drought spurs during the late 1970s major dry spell.