13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Light rain won't alleviate drought

Light rain won't alleviate drought

Indianapolis - Monday's scattered showers did little to help the state's water woes. Much of Indiana remains in the midst of a moderate drought. For two months, the state has received only half its usual rain fall.

Weather fronts packed with rain that have deluged states to the west and east have entirely missed Indiana. The day of the 500 Festival Parade was the last significant rainfall here more than three weeks ago.

"Right now if rain returns to the area, there will probably be little long lasting effects from this drought," said John Kwiatkowski, National Weather Service. (See the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's drought page.)

The immediate effects are in farm fields. Young corn and soybean plants are already suffering. Agronomists don't know yet how much of the crops will be lost to the dry weather.

Farmers are worried because their $34 billion corn crop is wilting. A report released Monday afternoon rates less than half the corn as good or excellent condition, a sharp decline from the week ago.

The National Weather Services sees only normal rainfall for the typically dry months of July and August. "I am not seeing something good here. It would be better than we have right now," he said.

Landscapers are suffering as well, keeping workers busy with chores normally done well into the summer. Lawns certainly don't need mowing.

"This hasn't been mowed for two weeks," said Chris Donaldson, who estimated it could go another two weeks without mowing.

Gene Henthorn calls his mower and engine showroom a ghost town. Almost no one is buying lawn mowers, sending sales falling 35 percent.

"It is starting to hurt; things here are getting pretty skinny," he said.

Last week, the Indianapolis Water Company pleaded with homeowners to stop watering their lawns. Demand for water had exceeded capacity. It appears if many homeowners heeded the plea. Water usage dropped more than 10 percent, roughly 28 million gallons a day.

Indiana Agriculture Director Andy Miller issued the following statement late Monday on recent abnormally dry weather:

"The Indiana State Department of Agriculture has received several calls from concerned farmers about the current extensive period of dry weather we are experiencing. We have been closely monitoring the situation and will continue to do so over the next few days to see if potential rainfall coming to the state makes a positive impact."

"The short term priority is pasture and hay in southeastern Indiana. While the limited rain is raising concerns about the corn crop, a recovery could happen quickly with timely rains during the next few weeks. ISDA is committed to monitoring the situation, and we are currently talking with the Indiana Farm Service Agency about their process to release Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage for pasturing and hay if that situation worsens."

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