Thought all of you would be interested in this story. Seems we should all be following Mollison's lead and developing water storage systems on our farms.
Any idea where to get some cisterns, etc. pretty cheaply? [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Feature: No doubt about drought > > By DAVE HASKELL > BOSTON, March 6 (UPI) -- With drought conditions persisting in much > of the nation, scientists are urging authorities and citizens to take > more steps to conserve water resources and are warning that > restrictions may be necessary in some areas. > Scientists say water problems in drought-stricken areas will persist > this summer because of a lack of precipitation this winter, the > warmest and driest in some regions of the country. > But while a quarter of the United States is in various stages of > drought, from mild to severe, there is good news for some areas, > particularly the East, according to Doug LeCompte, senior > meteorologist with National Oceanographic and Atmospherics > Administration's Climate Prediction Center in Washington. > "I have noticed that following an unusually dry February, fairly often > we've had a lot of precipitation in March," LeCompte told United Press > International. "The near term looks better, and historically winter > droughts do tend to improve as we go into the spring and summer." > LeCompte said there was some nice precipitation over the past weekend, > "which is a good start, but we need more." > In the short term, he said it appears there's another storm system > coming this weekend, and a potential for another storm a few days > after that. > "We seem to be in a wetter pattern, and that's good," LeCompte said. > "So maybe we're seeing a turnaround here in the drought situation in > the East." > But with ponds and reservoirs well below normal in some drought areas, > and with shallow wells already running dry, particularly in the > Northeast, there are concerns the hoped-for precipitation won't be > enough. > "There are two main areas of concern, the East Coast from Maine to > Georgia, and then there's kind of western United States, basically > Montana to Arizona," which have experienced one of the driest winters > on record, said Michael Hayes of the National Drought Mitigation > Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. > "I think there's a good reason to be concerned, especially for > officials," Hayes said. "I think they need to be aware of the > situation and be taking steps to deal with it." > LeCompte said many areas along the East Coast are in drought because > of weather patterns that prevented moisture from the Gulf of Mexico > reaching the region. > Connecticut and Maine had the driest November-through-January ever > recorded, and 2001 was the driest in Maine in more than 100 years. > While the Catskills reservoirs supplying New York City have improved, > they are still 52 percent below normal. Some wells, ponds, and > reservoirs are so far down experts say it will take substantial rains > to get them back to normal. > "With recent near-record low stream flows and reservoir levels for > this time of year being reported over portions of the mid-Atlantic and > New England states," LeCompte said, "it will take some time for these > regions to work their way out of drought conditions." > Drought emergencies were announced recently for several counties in > southern and eastern Pennsylvania, while drought warnings were issued > for counties in southeastern New York and western New Jersey. > Hayes said officials need to be particularly attentive to homeowners > with private wells. Thousands of shallow wells in Maine, New > Hampshire, Vermont, New York State, the Carolinas, Virginia and > Maryland have dried up, and many homeowners are on waiting lists for > deeper wells to be drilled, he said. > "To me that's one of the bigger issues because you've got these > individual homeowners who are becoming very vulnerable and they might > fall through the cracks, so to speak, whereas you've got some of these > municipalities that have a lot of storage capacity and they'll be > fine," Hayes said. > "As we get to starting to green up and growing vegetation, people want > to go out and start using some of the recreational facilities -- golf > courses, reservoirs, fishing," Hayes said. "I think you're going to > see a lot more impact and concerns about that. > "The big key right now," he said, "there needs to be communications > going on between state officials, city officials, and the public and > the media." > As the New York Times said in a recent editorial, "Conservation should > become a habit with us, conservation and a far more longsighted and > imaginative use of an increasingly precious resource." > Without adequate rainfall, the strain on water supplies will intensify > as people want to water their lawns and farmers their crops, but > agriculture experts say it is too early to predict how crops will be > affected. > Scientists say the current drought situation is nowhere near as bad as > the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s, or the droughts of the '50s and > '60s. While 25 to 30 percent of the country now is in drought, it was > about 70 percent in the '30s. > Some states such as Georgia and South Carolina have been in continuous > drought since 1998. > "For the mid-Atlantic states, it very well could be the worst winter > drought since the 1960s," LeCompte said. > While people who like the sunshine and warmer temperatures have been > enjoying the milder weather, there's a price to be paid later on. > "That's a classical drought response," Hayes said. "You never notice a > drought because it's just day after day of sunny, nice beautiful > weather. Only once you start seeing some of the impacts, you start > thinking, 'Oh, wow! We haven't had a lot of rain or snow,' and so it > kind of sneaks up on people. That's why it's called the creeping > phenomena." > As bad as the current drought may be, it could be worse. > Droughts of the 20th century have been only moderately severe and > relatively short, compared with droughts of much longer ago, according > to research published in the December issue of the Bulletin of the > American Meteorological Society. > Researchers said records of the past 400 years strongly indicate that > the severe droughts of the 20th century -- the 1930s, '50s and '60s -- > were not unusual events. They suggested droughts of similar magnitude > can be expected once or twice a century. > There is evidence of more severe droughts even further back in time, > in the second part of the 16th century, and indications some could be > even worse in the future. > "Conditions that lead to severe droughts such as that of the late 16th > century could recur in the future," the researchers said, "leading to > a natural disaster of a dimension unprecedented in the 20th century." > -0- > (For more information, see websites drought.unl.edu/monitor/monitor; > drought.unl.edu/ndmc; drought.noaa.gov; cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/index). > > > > > -- > Copyright 2002 by United Press International. > All rights reserved. > -- > > > > -- Robert Farr (540) 668-7160 Check out http://www.thechileman.com for Hot Sauces, Salsas, Mustards & More!
--- Begin Message ---
Feature: No doubt about drought
By DAVE HASKELL
BOSTON, March 6 (UPI) -- With drought conditions persisting in much of the nation, scientists are urging authorities and citizens to take more steps to conserve water resources and are warning that restrictions may be necessary in some areas.
Scientists say water problems in drought-stricken areas will persist this summer because of a lack of precipitation this winter, the warmest and driest in some regions of the country.
But while a quarter of the United States is in various stages of drought, from mild to severe, there is good news for some areas, particularly the East, according to Doug LeCompte, senior meteorologist with National Oceanographic and Atmospherics Administration's Climate Prediction Center in Washington.
"I have noticed that following an unusually dry February, fairly often we've had a lot of precipitation in March," LeCompte told United Press International. "The near term looks better, and historically winter droughts do tend to improve as we go into the spring and summer."
LeCompte said there was some nice precipitation over the past weekend, "which is a good start, but we need more."
In the short term, he said it appears there's another storm system coming this weekend, and a potential for another storm a few days after that.
"We seem to be in a wetter pattern, and that's good," LeCompte said. "So maybe we're seeing a turnaround here in the drought situation in the East."
But with ponds and reservoirs well below normal in some drought areas, and with shallow wells already running dry, particularly in the Northeast, there are concerns the hoped-for precipitation won't be enough.
"There are two main areas of concern, the East Coast from Maine to Georgia, and then there's kind of western United States, basically Montana to Arizona," which have experienced one of the driest winters on record, said Michael Hayes of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
"I think there's a good reason to be concerned, especially for officials," Hayes said. "I think they need to be aware of the situation and be taking steps to deal with it."
LeCompte said many areas along the East Coast are in drought because of weather patterns that prevented moisture from the Gulf of Mexico reaching the region.
Connecticut and Maine had the driest November-through-January ever recorded, and 2001 was the driest in Maine in more than 100 years.
While the Catskills reservoirs supplying New York City have improved, they are still 52 percent below normal. Some wells, ponds, and reservoirs are so far down experts say it will take substantial rains to get them back to normal.
"With recent near-record low stream flows and reservoir levels for this time of year being reported over portions of the mid-Atlantic and New England states," LeCompte said, "it will take some time for these regions to work their way out of drought conditions."
Drought emergencies were announced recently for several counties in southern and eastern Pennsylvania, while drought warnings were issued for counties in southeastern New York and western New Jersey.
Hayes said officials need to be particularly attentive to homeowners with private wells. Thousands of shallow wells in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York State, the Carolinas, Virginia and Maryland have dried up, and many homeowners are on waiting lists for deeper wells to be drilled, he said.
"To me that's one of the bigger issues because you've got these individual homeowners who are becoming very vulnerable and they might fall through the cracks, so to speak, whereas you've got some of these municipalities that have a lot of storage capacity and they'll be fine," Hayes said.
"As we get to starting to green up and growing vegetation, people want to go out and start using some of the recreational facilities -- golf courses, reservoirs, fishing," Hayes said. "I think you're going to see a lot more impact and concerns about that.
"The big key right now," he said, "there needs to be communications going on between state officials, city officials, and the public and the media."
As the New York Times said in a recent editorial, "Conservation should become a habit with us, conservation and a far more longsighted and imaginative use of an increasingly precious resource."
Without adequate rainfall, the strain on water supplies will intensify as people want to water their lawns and farmers their crops, but agriculture experts say it is too early to predict how crops will be affected.
Scientists say the current drought situation is nowhere near as bad as the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s, or the droughts of the '50s and '60s. While 25 to 30 percent of the country now is in drought, it was about 70 percent in the '30s.
Some states such as Georgia and South Carolina have been in continuous drought since 1998.
"For the mid-Atlantic states, it very well could be the worst winter drought since the 1960s," LeCompte said.
While people who like the sunshine and warmer temperatures have been enjoying the milder weather, there's a price to be paid later on.
"That's a classical drought response," Hayes said. "You never notice a drought because it's just day after day of sunny, nice beautiful weather. Only once you start seeing some of the impacts, you start thinking, 'Oh, wow! We haven't had a lot of rain or snow,' and so it kind of sneaks up on people. That's why it's called the creeping phenomena."
As bad as the current drought may be, it could be worse.
Droughts of the 20th century have been only moderately severe and relatively short, compared with droughts of much longer ago, according to research published in the December issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
Researchers said records of the past 400 years strongly indicate that the severe droughts of the 20th century -- the 1930s, '50s and '60s -- were not unusual events. They suggested droughts of similar magnitude can be expected once or twice a century.
There is evidence of more severe droughts even further back in time, in the second part of the 16th century, and indications some could be even worse in the future.
"Conditions that lead to severe droughts such as that of the late 16th century could recur in the future," the researchers said, "leading to a natural disaster of a dimension unprecedented in the 20th century."
-0-
(For more information, see websites drought.unl.edu/monitor/monitor; drought.unl.edu/ndmc; drought.noaa.gov; cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/index).
--
Copyright 2002 by United Press International.
All rights reserved.
--
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