Drought conditions continue to worsen

By Dawn Treglown

CENTRE — With a rain deficit currently measuring well over 12 inches, Cherokee County and the rest of the Southeast are facing the worst droughts in years.

Farmers are some of those hardest hit by the drought, and unfortunately, there's not much that can be done to help them.

“It's very serious right now,” said Frankie Shaw, executive director of the Department of Agriculture Farm Service.

Shaw said both cattle farmers and row crop producers have been severely affected by this year's drought. He said the lack of rain has left very little for the cattle to eat.

“The cattlemen are needing pasture and hay,” Shaw said. “Some of the cattlemen are having to liquidate their herd.”

Row crop producers are facing a difficult time, as well. Shaw said cotton is, by far, the most important crop for Cherokee County. Unfortunately, little summer rain translates into little cotton bolls come harvest time.

“What cotton is up is delayed. It's just sitting there and not growing,” Shaw said. “Some of it is close to dying from lack of water.”

He added that the bulk of acreage for cotton farming in Cherokee County has no irrigation system. He said he hopes some type of government assistance can be given to local farmers to help their businesses, but none is currently available.

“There's some preliminary work being done, but I can't say right not what will be available, if anything,” Shaw said.

Last week, Sen. Richard Shelby's office released a statement announcing he has joined with Sen. Jeff Sessions to again ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue an emergency declaration for the entire state due to the severity of the drought.
A previous request from Shelby and Session went unanswered by Agriculture Sec. Mike Johanns.

“It is remarkable how quickly a weather situation can change from problematic to dangerous,” Shelby said. “My office has heard from farmers and cattlemen across Alabama who are facing serious economic struggles as these drought conditions continue. The need for emergency aid is dire across the state of Alabama to assist these farmers and cattlemen during this disastrous crop season.”

Drought conditions are so severe that last week, the Alabama Forestry Commission was forced to issue a “no burn” drought emergency order for 33 counties comprising the northern half of Alabama, including Cherokee County.

The order, which went into effect June 8 at midnight, prohibits any person to set fire to any forest, grass, woods, wild lands or marshes. It also prohibits recreational burning, such as campfires, bonfires, or the discharge of any type of fireworks except over water.

Commercial and municipal fireworks displays are also prohibited, unless a written request is submitted and approved by the state forester.

The press release from the Forestry Commission announcing the no burn order hinted at the severity of the drought conditions.

“Prolonged drought conditions in this area have created an atmosphere where the probability of catastrophic fire activity is high.” The release also announced that the remaining 34 counties in Alabama have been placed on a fire alert status.

Despite the intense dry conditions, Cherokee County's drinking supply is currently holding up.

Sid Garrett, general manager for the Cherokee County Water and Sewer Authority, said water supply levels are fine now, at least for the time being.

Garrett said the county water authority gets its water from two springs -- Sanford Springs and Bristow Springs.

“We've seen a slight decline in both springs, but we're not in panic mode yet,” Garrett said. “But we're monitoring it daily.”

He said it's normal to see a decline in the flow of spring water during dry months.

“As of right now, we're still releasing a lot of water and are nowhere near what our springs are rated,” Garrett said.

Likewise, Max Hunter, general manager for Northeast Alabama Water, said water supplies appear to be OK, for now. Northeast Alabama supplies drinking water for Cedar Bluff and parts of Cherokee County.

“We get our water from Waterloo Springs, and we buy some from Centre, which gets its water from the lake,” Hunter said.

He said a lot of water is being used right now, but he doesn't anticipate any problems with supplying that water.

“If the drought continues, at this point and time, our domestic use is adequate for the demand,” Hunter said.

However, Garrett did advise people to use caution when watering, to help conserve water. He said the few recent rains that fell in Cherokee County were welcomed but not enough to ease drought conditions.

“A couple of good rains won't help,” he said. “It would take months and months of rain to replenish the water supply.”

Last week, Gov. Bob Riley announced drought emergencies for 19 counties in north and central Alabama, including Cherokee County. The governor's actions came after the state's Office of Water Resources issued a new advisory declaring severe drought conditions throughout the state.

The 19 counties now listed under the emergency status are: Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Shelby, St. Clair, Walker and Winston.

“Everyone needs to conserve water whenever possible,” Gov. Riley said. “I strongly encourage residents to follow the restrictions issued by their water providers and encourage those not yet under restrictions to take steps now to conserve water in their daily routines.”

Cherokee County is not currently under any water restrictions. However, with little assistance available for farmers, several agencies have tried to help as much as possible.

The Department of Agriculture and Industries and the Alabama Farmers Federation have joined forces to help find hay for drought-stricken farmers in Alabama. A listing of available hay will be listed on the federation website at www.alfafarmers.org.

Farmers interested in listing hay for sale on the website may contact Mike Shewbart with the Department of Agriculture at 256-246-1543 or Alabama Farmers Federation Hay and Forage Director Perry Mobley at 334-613-4221.

Shaw said there's really one thing everyone can do to try and help ease the drought conditions.

“Pray for rain,” he said.