How are you guys doing with the drought?

10 years ago

I was wondering how its been down there in Texas this year? We got lots of heavy rain here in Oklahoma in spring and summer this year. We only got into the 100's on two days this year and that is almost unheard of. My garden looked better this summer than it has in three or four years.

Is the situation improving there too?

I haven't noticed any posts on drought lately and hoped this is a good sign. I just saw rain forecast for New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and the Texas panhandle and its supposed to come up here in a few days. We are bone dry again but the earlier rain provided some much needed relief to the lakes and rivers.

We are still on water rationing and I was told by the Water Dept. that this will stay in effect from here on out for conservation purposes. Lots of people have been fined around here. A guy told me there was a very long line at the courthouse and nearly all of them were paying fines for watering. Oklahoma is still stricken and they say we are still in a serious drought.

Comments (8)

linda_tx8
10 years ago
Depending on where a person lives in Texas, we have the full gamut, ranging from no drought to exceptional drought. Where I live, we're in the severe level of drought. We've pretty much been in drought here for six or so years..with some periods of time when we had decent rainfall for months, but that never lasts long enough. At least this year it's not as bad as some of the drought years we've had.

Here is a link that might be useful: State Drought Monitor
lou_spicewood_tx
10 years ago
It's not too bad compared to 2011 drought. Texas got timely rainfall that kept things looking alive.

There is a tropical wave coming into GOM that might give Texas a deep soaking rainfall starting Sunday if it keeps going north. Have to wait a few more days to find out for sure. It pretty much depends on how persistent high pressure dome is sitting on Texas. If it doesn't budge much, only south Texas would see significant rainfall.
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TxMarti
10 years ago
What they said. We've had plenty of really hot weather, but unheard of rains in July and August. Parts of my yard are still green and it's usually a toasty yellow this time of year.
GreatPlains1
Original Author
10 years ago
That all sounds pretty close to the situation up here too. Maybe its loosing its grip. Thanks for the update.
gmatx zone 6
10 years ago
Our part of the Texas Panhandle is right on the edge of the "severe/moderate drought" category, which is an improvement over the last 2 years! It really is going to take many, many more inches of rain to replenish the subsoil moisture we have lost over the last several years. The rains in July and August made everything so beautifully green here, and our cattle certainly enjoyed the fresh grass. Things are brown again, but we do have some chances of rain this week. Hope we get some rain and that it moves on up to your part of the Heartland.
lou_spicewood_tx
10 years ago
Looks like south Texas will get a lot of rain.

Here is a link that might be useful:
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
10 years ago
Our lakes are dangerously empty. Our water supplies are still in major danger. Rice farmers are down to one crop and they are refused any more water for their second crop. I am dry west of Austin. It is crinkly with a tad of green around me. But my rain Tanks have water enough for me to water some. I drive down other side of Wimberley area and they are GREEN, Ireland green almost. I was shocked. They had some big gully washers this week. Rain has been around here but not on top of me.
bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
10 years ago
The rains through early August were better spaced than they had been in the past few years. At least a couple were the broad drizzling type, but rest were pretty localized. So folks even just a few miles from our location on the north side of Dallas have had a different experience.

The problem for those of us who rely on surface water is that Texas still didn't get enough rain to reverse the downward trend in statewide reservoir storage that began in 2008. The portion of the state east of the Trinity basin is actually still in pretty good shape, but even here some lakes are down far enough for the local news to occasionally cover dead fish and boats sitting on the lake beds. The western half of the state is a different story. TWDB provides a good map on overall reservoir conditions as of the end of August on page 5 of the linked pdf.

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas reservoir storage - August 2013

This post was edited by bostedo on Sat, Sep 14, 13 at 13:19

How are you guys doing with the drought?

Comments (8)

linda_tx8

lou_spicewood_tx

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TxMarti

GreatPlains1
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How are you guys doing with the drought?

Comments (8)

linda_tx8

lou_spicewood_tx

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TxMarti

GreatPlains1Original Author

gmatx zone 6

lou_spicewood_tx

wantonamara Z8 CenTex

bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw

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GreatPlains1
Original Author