CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 07/11/00

Drought Keeps Firm Grip on Georgia

soilmoisture79.gif (11924 bytes)Athens, Ga. -- A hot, dry early July has intensified the impacts from Georgia's 27-month-old drought.

Low soil-moisture levels, low stream flows and high wildfire potential continue to be of concern. The state's economy continues to be affected. Crop and animal production, forestry and the green industry continue to be severely impacted. Drought conditions aren't expected to improve soon.

Locally heavy rains in late June brought some short-term relief to some of the state's parched soils. However, the helpful moisture quickly evaporated, with temperatures in the 90s during early July.

Drought Conditions Statewide

Drought conditions are present statewide. The worst conditions are in the southwest, northern coastal plain and piedmont regions of the state. Unfortunately, the six largest cities in the state are in these regions.

Soil moisture is very low across the state. The Climate Prediction Center's soil-moisture-model output for July 10 ranks soil-moisture levels at the 1st percentile across southwest and central Georgia. At the 1st percentile level, soils would have more moisture in 99 years out of 100.

Soil-moisture rankings in the remaining northern two-thirds of the state are between the 1st and 5th percentiles. At the 5th percentile, soils would have more moisture in 95 years out of 100. Soil moisture levels in south central and southeast Georgia are between the 5th and 10th percentiles.

streams711.gif (11482 bytes)

Explanation
  bluedot.gif (119 bytes)   > 90th Percentile
  orangedot.gif (119 bytes)   10th - 24th Percentile
  burntdot.gif (74 bytes)   < 10th Percentile
  recorddot.gif (119 bytes)   Record Low for Day
  recorddot.gif (119 bytes)   Not Recorded

Stream Flows at or Near Record Lows

Stream flows are at or near daily record lows for the date. Some streams are setting all-time record lows. Daily record low flows were observed on July 10 on the Flint River near Culloden and at Montezuma, the Satilla near Waycross, the Oconee at Dublin, the Little near Washington and the Broad near Bell.

Near-daily-record-lows were reported on the Ohoopee River near Reidsville, the Ocmulgee at Macon and Lumber City, the Tallulah near Clayton and the Etowah at Canton.

Concern about wildfires continues. Foresters use the Keetch-Byram Drought Index as a tool to determine wildfire behavior. Except for extreme north Georgia, the KBDI is in excess of 500. Most of the state has KBDI values greater than 600.

When KBDI reaches 500, wildfires are hard to control. KBDI values above 600 mean that putting out wildfires becomes a major problem.

No Major Relief in Sight

No widespread, major relief from the drought is in sight. With temperatures in the 90s, Georgia's soils are losing close to 1.5 inches of moisture a week because of evaporation and plant water use.

To keep soil moisture at current levels, we will need 1.5 inches of water a week added to the soils. To make a significant dent into the drought, we will need to add about 10 inches of water to the soils.

Even a tropical storm would not be able to add enough water to the soils. Much of the water from a tropical storm would not enter the soils but would run off, causing flooding. It appears that Georgia's best hope of pulling out of the current drought is a long, wet winter.

The University of Georgia has two drought-related Web sites that are updated daily. The Drought 2000 Web site (www.georgiadrought.org) has information about current drought conditions, impacts and suggestions for reducing impacts. The Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network Web site (www.griffin.peachnet.edu/ba e /) has current weather information and tools for data analysis.

David Emory Stooksbury is associate professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
David E. Stooksbury, Ph.D.
A new UGA study found that children improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches. CAES News
UGA study shows all students benefit from healthy school lunches 04/24/24 Erica P. Techo
School lunches have come a long way from square pizza and fish sticks, and students across the board are benefiting from improved nutritional standards in the cafeteria. A new study from the University of Georgia found that children from all walks of life improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act nutritional guidelines instead of home-prepared lunches.
Jeffrey Dean (center), assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, with 2024 Classified Employee Award recipients Daniel Nordstrom (left) and Kenny Corley. (Photos by Ashley Biles) CAES News
Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year 04/23/24 Ashley N Biles
The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.
A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
uga commencement CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.