U.S. Water News Online
ALBANY, Ga. -- Most of Georgia remains unusually dry, despite 2 to 3 inches of rain that moistened the ground recently and caused some rivers to swell temporarily.
The state has been in a drought since May 1998, leading to statewide water restrictions, payments to farmers who don't irrigate, dry wells for some rural residents and a daytime ban on lawn watering in metro Atlanta.
``For this time of year ... the entire state is suffering drought, except the northwest,'' said David Stooksbury, the state climatologist.
``We still have time to correct short-term problems. The next eight weeks will be critical. We still have time to get soil moisture up to near normal conditions. But every week we go with little or no rainfall is making it less likely we can get groundwater and reservoirs recharged to normal.''
Stooksbury, a University of Georgia engineering professor, said he expects dry conditions to continue across south Georgia, with near normal rainfall in the northern third of the state.
``The middle third -- who knows?'' he said.
The state Environmental Protection Division, which is responsible for water quality and water availability, has announced it may make a severe drought declaration by March 1, authorizing a second round of payments to farmers in the Flint River Basin who agree not to irrigate.
``The Floridan Aquifer in southwest Georgia has simply not recovered from four consecutive dry years,'' EPD Director Harold Reheis said.
Last year, during the first summer of the Flint River Drought Protection Act, the EPD saved about 130 million gallons a day by paying farmers $4.5 million to idle some irrigation systems.
In 2002, some rural residents north of Albany found themselves with dry wells. They blamed farmers, who were pumping large quantities to keep crops alive.
Statewide water restrictions continued through the winter, even though that is supposed to be the state's wet season.
In Atlanta and 15 surrounding counties, homeowners can water only between certain hours on even-odd days. Elsewhere, they can water on even-odd days, but have no time limits.
Stooksbury said last week's rain expanded rivers in southwestern Georgia to near-normal levels, but without more those flows will quickly drop.
``Coastal Georgia has not received the beneficial rains,'' he said. ``Stream flows ... are still extremely low.''
The only bright note in the grim outlook is the apparent formation of an El Nino weather system in the Pacific.
Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they have observed a slow trend toward El Nino, as below-normal sea surface temperatures in the central equatorial Pacific have given way to above-normal readings. El Nino usually means wetter weather during the cooler months over the southern United States.
But the effects of the latest El Nino may not be felt until next fall, Stooksbury said.
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