PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
1000 AM MDT THU JULY 13 2006
...DROUGHT CONDITIONS INTENSIFYING ACROSS WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AND NORTHEASTERN WYOMING...
AS OF JULY 13th...EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS ZIEBACH...HAAKON AND NORTHERN JACKSON COUNTIES. SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS INTENSIFIED OVER PERKINS...MEADE ...EASTERN PENNINGTON...SOUTHERN JACKSON...BENNETT...TODD ...MELLETTE...AND TRIPP COUNTIES. MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE PERSISTING IN NORTHEAST WYOMING AND OVER THE REST OF WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA.
AFTER AN EXTREMELY DRY MAY...A FEW SPOTS IN SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA RECEIVED NEAR NORMAL PRECIPITATION IN JUNE. OTHERWISE...PRECIPITATION DURING FOR JUNE WAS WELL BELOW NORMAL IN NORTHEASTERN WYOMING AND WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. RAINFALL WAS 20 TO 40 PERCENT OF NORMAL ACROSS NORTHEAST WYOMING AND IN THE BLACK HILLS. RAINFALL WAS 30 TO 60 PERCENT OF NORMAL ACROSS THE SOUTH DAKOTA PLAINS. TWO LOCATIONS...KADOKA AND NEWELL...REPORTED RECORD LOW PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS FOR JUNE. KADOKA ONLY RECEIVED 0.49 INCHES WHILE NEWELL REPORTED 0.40 INCHES OF RAIN.
...RESERVOIR DATA...
RESERVOIRS AROUND THE REGION REMAIN WELL BELOW CAPACITY. THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS RESERVOIR PERCENT OF NORMAL CAPACITY AND CHANGE IN ELEVATION OVER THE PAST 30 DAYS AS CALCULATED BY THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
RESERVOIR PERCENT OF NORMAL ELEVATION CHANGE
....................................................................................................................
ANGOSTURA 42% -3.0
BELLE FOURCHE 47% -6.0
DEERFIELD 80% -0.5
KEYHOLE 36% -1.5
PACTOLA 69% -4.0
SHADEHILL 74% -0.4
...IMPACTS...
DROUGHT IMPACTS AS REPORTED BY THE SOUTH DAKOTA STATE CLIMATOLOGIST DENNIS TODEY INCLUDE...
* "JUNIOR" WATER RIGHTS ON THE CHEYENNE RIVER BETWEEN ANGOSTURA AND THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER HAVE BEEN SHUT OFF DUE TO LOW FLOWS.
* DUE TO LIMITED RAINFALL...SURFACE WATER AVAILABILITY HAS GREATLY DECREASED CAUSING WATER SUPPLY AND QUALITY ISSUES FOR CATTLE.
* LATE SPRING SNOWS HELPED GRASS AND RANGE PRODUCTION. HOWEVER DRY CONDITIONS EARLY THIS SUMMER HAVE REDUCED RANGELAND PRODUCTIVITY AND HAVE INCREASED CATTLE SALES BECAUSE OF LIMITED FEED.
* THE PHILIP-MIDLAND-WALL AREA IS RUNNING SHORT OF WATER BECAUSE OF LEAKS IN THEIR WATER SYSTEM. BECAUSE OF THIS...LAWN AND GARDEN WATERING HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.
* NUMEROUS AREAS HAVE BURN RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE.
...OUTLOOK FOR JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER...
DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AND NORTHEASTERN WYOMING THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
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