New Mexico Counties Drought Condition
Reports from Cooperative Extension Service Agricultural Agents
April 2002
For additional information on drought conditions contact
local
No appreciable moisture in the last 9-10 months. That should let you know how dry we are. We estimate at this time we are 60% below normal for the year.
Dona Ana
Despite all the recent publicity
and reports of Elephant Butte Dam and Reservoir being below norm, the Elephant
Butte Irrigation District increased crop water allotments from 2 AF. to 3 AF. Most irrigated crops in the
It's dry out there. Reports are anywhere from 25% to 75% reduction in herd sizes. Scope of drought goes to retail businesses also. Feed suppliers stating sales are off because producers have fewer animals. Newspapers are already calling for drought impacts to agriculture.
Crop production dropped last year
mostly because of dry conditions. This year is worse.
Most of the irrigated wheat is only FAIR and watering is constant, dry wheat is non existent and has been gone since December. Alfalfa is pretty good but requiring lots of water. We are trying to plant corn, and it is slow. There are no plans for sorgo planting.
Forage data shows production losses
last fall and January this year.
Range conditions are very poor. Moisture has been very limited this winter and spring. Water tanks are dry and ranchers are having to haul water or move cattle to pastures with wells. Producers are to reducing herd size. They are also having to buy hay and range cubes to maintain their cattle.
Irrigated land in the valleys will have limited water because of the low runoff this spring and summer resulting in lower hay production. It could be as much as 50% below normal.
It is not looking good, and hasn't been for quite some time now.
In
As for rangeland conditions, things looked pretty bad. Even the winter annual weeds are struggling to come up. Native grasses are getting scarce. Livestock are having be to fed supplemental feed. Producers are already contemplating on reduce herd sizes.
Dryland wheat is slow at putting on the growth.
DeBaca
The end of March we had a
measurable rain. Town reported 1.3 inches, the Valley reported 1.5
inches, Yeso reported .8 and
Dunlap measured an inch.
April 7th, it rained again. Town - .8, Valley -- .4, Yeso
-- .2, Dunlap -- .8.
No one can remember far enough to
remember the rain before.
I have been told that we will not have to face a priority water call until
fall. Recent rains have greened the pastures, but subsoil moisture is not and tank
water isn't either. It is serious.
For further information, or if you
would like to personally discuss current
Lea
Lea county had close to 4” in the center of the county in a ten day period from the last week in March to the first week in April. Things have greened up, but it’s mostly weeds. Green weeds are good if they aren’t poisonous to cattle or sheep. But weeds won’t last as long as grass and do not come back as fast. After 4 years of drought there wasn’t much good turf left. Things aren’t hairing back as fast as usual in a wet spring.
Beggars can’t be choosers, but more moisture is needed to get this county haired over again. It would also be nice to have our ranchers rest most of our ranges until next spring if we do get ample rain to bring it back.
Rainfall for the past year has actually been very close to long term average. The problem is that the rain fell during extremely cool parts of the year, followed by days of windy, sunny weather. Therefore, we had very few forbes develop this past season. The perennial grasses started to green a month ago, but with the wind all moisture has disappeared. Snow pack in the upper reaches of the Gila were very light, therefore, those people who rely on the river for water are going to be very short this spring. Static levels of irrigation wells appear to be holding at the present time, however, we are noticing an increase in soluble salts. There is more dust blowing than usual, and many livestock producers are looking for grazing alternatives for their livestock. Most are looking for rains in July, if none materialize we will have 10 to 15 thousand head of thin cows for sale.
Guadalupe
Quay
For two growing seasons the rangeland has not received moisture at the proper time to grow warm season grasses. It is in severe decline with large areas of open space between grass plants. The grass that is present is beginning to take on a grey color. Most ranchers are still feeding supplements and some are feeding hay and others are beginning to sell off cows. It's bad!