The Drought of 2005-06 Continues…

The accumulated warmer than normal summer temperatures experienced area-wide contributed to the deteriorating drought conditions as well, as many locations experienced on average 11 to as many as 22 days where afternoon temperatures topped the century mark. Only random afternoon showers and thunderstorms occurred during the summer months, providing some brief relief to isolated locations. The above normal temperatures and lack of rainfall through much of this year have contributed to the continued burns bans across the region, as well as water conservations measures in place mainly across communities of East Texas and Northwest Louisiana. Area lakes, river, and bayous continue to slowly recede, with all area reservoirs having fallen below their normal conservation pool stages, with the most significant impacts being felt across the Northeast Texas reservoirs in the Red, Sabine, Sulphur, and Neches River basins. Gauge sites along the Sabine River have recorded record low stages from Gladewater, to Beckville, and Logansport. Broken Bow Lake, Lake of the Pines, Caddo Lake, Black Lake, Lake Fork, Lake Jacksonville, and Sam Rayburn Lake have all recorded current pool stages some three to six feet below their normal pool stages, while Lake Bob Sandlin, Bodcau Lake, Martin Lake, and Lake Tyler are currently seven to nine feet below normal pool stage�the exception being Bodcau Lake, which is nearly twelve feet below normal.

The drought continues to significantly impact the area economically and agriculturally. For a second straight year, hay supplies and harvests have been short across much of East Texas, only producing a third of their normal yield. This has resulted in increased hay prices, and have required some farmers to buy hay out of state, or to completely liquidate their herds due to the increasing expenses of supplying supplemental feed and acquiring hay out of state. Smaller herd sizes will curtail beef supplies, while the lack of adequate nutrition for cows will mean a smaller calf crop next year. Many ponds, tanks, and creeks remain well below normal, if not completely dry, across several East Texas counties. Some help is in the offing, however, as the Texas Department of Agriculture will administer financial assistance to eligible livestock producers in 216 drought-stricken counties throughout the state.

The possibility of a developing El Nino in the equatorial Pacific will ultimately determine the precipitation and temperature patterns on the Four State Region this fall/winter. Should the El Nino be strong enough, this would favor above normal wintertime rainfall and below normal wintertime temperatures from November through February.

The following table indicates the accumulated rainfall, their departures, and percentage of normal since the drought began last May, 2005, with totals ending on September 30th, 2006, a 17 month running total: