Drought watch

**JABIII** · 07-29-2008, 08:33 AM

The drought is getting severe boys and girls. Santee is already much lower than it was this time last year. The rivers around here are mere creeks. I don't know how much more of this that we can stand. Hurricanes, tropical storms, monsoons and tsunamis are all welcome. Several counties have had no measurable rain this summer. Hay is screwed. I watched a farmer plowing up his corn down around Goat Island on Thursday. It is getting critical that we receive some tropical rain. We are spending a ton of money redesigning and implementing our irrigation and pumping systems with the goal of reducing our water usage by two thirds. It doesn't make fiscal sense but it is the right thing to do for our river and swamps. Start thinking about saving water where you can during these dry years. The rains will come again but who knows how long it will take...

**Swamp Rat** · 07-29-2008, 09:24 AM

The fact that I had to spend about $3,000 to drill another well 30 feet deeper (as far they could go and stay in sand) got my attention.

**dukhuntr** · 07-29-2008, 10:07 AM

JAB we did a recycling system last year on our club in NC and it saved our season! If we would not been able to pump and then keep recirculating back in to the fields we would have been high and dry like so many others were in the area. We only needed to pump about a 1/4 of the water that we had needed the year before.

**JABIII** · 07-29-2008, 11:33 AM

That's awesome Dukhuntr! Anytime you can lessen your environmental impact by 3/4 is really something to brag about. We are adding storage as well which will eat up some of our farmed acreage by keeping some areas too wet to combine but the increase in permanant wetlands will pay dividends for the wildlife forever. Our setup allows us access to plenty of water, drought or no drought. But wouldn't it be irresponsible of us not to try to lessen our usage if we believe that we can?

**HARV** · 07-29-2008, 01:23 PM

We've had the opposite up here.Had to try and pick 4 or so no rain days to do hay,combining wheat has been a stop and go deal.Not too much rain mind you,just too frequent.We've still only had a handful of nights over 65 degrees.I'll get the brothers together and do a shuffle for y'all.Good luck and God Bless. Mother Nature always has a reason but damned if I can ever figure it out.

**HERRINGBONE** · 07-29-2008, 02:46 PM

Harv you and your men need to shuffle us up a good one.
Bone Out

**Sportin' Woodies** · 07-29-2008, 04:42 PM

the creek we used to irrigate out of has been dry for over 2 months. that creek has only dried up in 1954, 2002, 2007 and 2008. 02 it was only dry for a week or so.
we've had 3 sprinkles since mid april that have combined to be .24"
its only a matter of time before vital wells go out.
la nina?

**Glenn** · 07-30-2008, 11:00 AM

Freaky part is we've gotton rain at the house two nights in a row, over 2 inches and some areas are water logged where others are crumbling.

Water conservation is something that everyone needs to think about, especially now.

I never have understood why some one would use filtered, treated drinking water to wash a damn truck or car.