DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR 400 PM PDT TUE AUG 12 2008 ...DRY WEATHER CONTINUES IN SOUTHEAST LAKE COUNTY AND EAST MODOC COUNTY... SYNOPSIS...THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR CONTINUES TO INDICATE A SEVERE DROUGHT /CLASSIFICATION D2/ IN SOUTHEAST MODOC COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHEAST LAKE COUNTY IN OREGON. THE US DROUGHT MONITOR ALSO SHOWS MODERATE DROUGHT /CLASSIFICATION D1/ IN OTHER PORTIONS OF MODOC AND LAKE COUNTIES. THE DROUGHT MONITOR LISTS ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS /CLASSIFICATION D0/ FOR THE REST OF LAKE COUNTY AS WELL AS KLAMATH, JACKSON, JOSEPHINE, CURRY, COOS, AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES IN OREGON AND FOR THE REST OF MODOC COUNTY AND SISKIYOU COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA. SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS DESIGNATED LAKE COUNTY IN OREGON AS A PRIMARY NATURAL DISASTER AREA DUE TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT 2007. ADDITIONALLY LAKE COUNTY IN OREGON HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS A CONTIGUOUS NATURAL DISASTER AREA. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS IN THIS COUNTY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR LOW-INTEREST LOANS FROM THE FARM SERVICE AGENCY. PRODUCERS HAVE EIGHT MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF DESIGNATION TO APPLY FOR LOANS. IN CALIFORNIA SENATOR FLOREZ URGED PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC TO EXPEDITE ELECTRICAL SERVICE TO NEW WELLS IN HOPES OF SALVAGING FARMERS CROPS AS THE REGION SUFFERS FROM DROUGHT AND REDUCED WATER DELIVERIES. THE SENATOR ASSERTED THAT OVER 173 MILLION DOLLARS IN CROPS HAVE ALREADY BEEN LOST IN FRESNO AND KERN COUNTIES AND THAT QUICK CONNECTIONS TO ELECTRICAL SERVICE COULD HELP PREVENT FURTHER LOSSES. THE MONTAGUE WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT ANNOUNCED THAT THEY ARE SHORTENING THE PERIOD OF WATER DELIVERIES BY 25 PERCENT BECAUSE LAKE SHASTINA IS ONLY 57 PERCENT OF CAPACITY. WHEREAS FARMERS USUALLY RECEIVE WATER THROUGH THE END OF SEPTEMBER...DELIVERIES WILL END MID-AUGUST. THE ABBREVIATED PERIOD OF WATER DELIVERY WILL ALSO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF HAY CUTTINGS RANCHERS CAN HOPE TO GET. LOWER THAN EXPECTED WATER SALES HAVE ALSO FORCED THE MWCD TO RAISE THE PRICE OF WATER FROM 14 DOLLARS PER ACRE-FOOT TO 28 DOLLARS PER ACRE-FOOT. A CLIMATOLOGIST FROM THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY IN PASADENA URGES CALIFORNIANS TO RIGOROUSLY CONSERVE WATER IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT MANDATORY WATER RATIONING BEFORE THE SUMMER'S END. THIS IS THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION IN CALIFORNIA. DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WILDFIRE PROBLEMS IN CALIFORNIA. FIVE WILDFIRES ARE CURRENTLY BURNING IN SISKIYOU COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA. THE SISKIYOU COMPLEX IS 69 PERCENT CONTAINED. THE UKONOM COMPLEX IS 89 PERCENT CONTAINED. THE BEAR WALLOW COMPLEX IS 49 PERCENT CONTAINED. THE PANTHER WILDLAND FIRE IS 28 PERCENT CONTAINED. THE BLUE 2 WILDLAND FIRE IS 64 PERCENT CONTAINED. CLIMATE SUMMARY...ALTURAS IN MODOC COUNTY IS COMING OFF A COUPLE OF DRY YEARS. THIS YEAR ALTURAS HAS RECEIVED 11.23 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WATER YEAR. NORMAL FOR THE WATER YEAR IS 12.26 INCHES. PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...THE ONE MONTH OUTLOOK SHOWS THAT MODOC, PART OF SISKIYOU, AND LAKE COUNTIES ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. KLAMATH, JACKSON, JOSEPHINE, CURRY, COOS, AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES ARE ALL EXPECTED TO HAVE BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND NORMAL PRECIPITATION. HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...ASIDE FOR RIVER RISES DUE TO SOME INTENSE SHORT TERM RAINFALL...THE PIT RIVER IN MODOC COUNTY HAS BEEN FLOWING AT AROUND 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE RIVER IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TO SLOWLY FALL DURING THE DRY SUMMER MONTHS. THE ROGUE RIVER IS ACTUALLY FLOWING AT AROUND 125 PERCENT OF NORMAL DUE TO HIGH RELEASES FROM LOST CREEK RESERVOIR CAUSED BY HEAVY SPRING RUNOFF. NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...THE NEXT SCHEDULED PRODUCT WILL BE ISSUED BY SEPTEMBER 12 OR SOONER IF THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN CONDITIONS. RELATED WEB SITES...
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?cb_00010=on&cb_00060=on&cb_00065=on&format=html&period=7&site_no=14337600
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/fsa/newsreleases?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=edn&newstype=ednewsrel&type=detail&item=ed_20071004_rel_1536.html
http://cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS... CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER DROUGHT MONITOR U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION NORTHWEST RIVER FORECAST CENTER CALIFORNIA NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...PLEASE REFER ALL QUESTIONS TO Spencer.Higginson@noaa.gov HIGGINSON WEATHER.GOV/MEDFORD