By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Dry conditions continue to plague Kentucky as drought drags on prompting at least one county to begin mandatory water restrictions.

Residents in the southern portion of Woodford County were banned, starting June 20, from watering their lawns, washing cars, filling swimming pools or any other unnecessary use of water until the area receives significant rainfall.

The local forecast called for the possibility of more substantial showers by last Thursday and Friday, but most portions of the state will need more than that to make up the deficit.

Kentucky declared a Water Watch Shortage in 61 counties on June 15 according to the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet’s Division of Water (DOW).

The agency reported no shortages at water supply intakes but warned that, “with continued dry days and warm temperatures, the potential for high demands to stress the treatment, storage or distribution of potable water is increased. Citizens in the Water Shortage Watch area should be prepared to reduce non-essential uses of water if asked to do so by their water providers.”

Stuart Foster, state climatologist, said precipitation deficits for the past four months put all four state divisions among the driest periods on record since 1895.

Foster also said that while it is certainly possible that the general weather pattern that has led to the current drought situation will change and bring beneficial rains, those who manage and depend upon water supplies should prepare for the possibility that the current drought conditions could intensify rapidly.

A water shortage watch is issued when drought conditions have the potential to threaten the normal availability of drinking water supply sources. Officials at the DOW study rainfall amounts, reservoir levels, streamflows, the Palmer Drought Index and the Drought Monitor when determining drought status.

The Palmer Index lists Western, Bluegrass and Eastern climatic divisions of the state to be in the severe drought category for the week of June 25 with the Central climatic division remaining in the moderate drought category.

The University of Kentucky Ag Weather Center said the amounts of rainfall needed in these areas to end the hydrological drought are 8.80 inches in West, 7.12 inches in Central, 7.07 inches in Bluegrass and 7.68 inches East divisions.

The outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center is that extreme and exceptional drought conditions in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee will persist while drought will continue to build in Kentucky. Keenan Bishop, University of Kentucky County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Franklin County, said farmers in his area are becoming concerned with the dry conditions.

“I hate to use the word, but a lot of our farmers are getting scared over the situation. We have mostly beef cattle in our area since the tobacco buyout and many producers are looking at reducing their numbers or selling out completely because of the lack of hay,” said Bishop.

“It doesn’t look like it will be cost effective to haul in hay. The only bright spot is this could be it makes producers cull their herds in more of a manner that they should. Most of our producers have small herds and that becomes harder to do.”

Bishop also said the tobacco in his county is still looking good but some producers are already beginning to irrigate. “I’ve heard some talk of irrigating their alfalfa fields; but with the cost of fuel, it’s hard to think about irrigating anything,” he said.

From the hard freeze producers experienced in the early spring to the dry summer conditions, Kentucky farmers are trying to fend off Mother Nature’s fury.

“Water suppliers in the 61-county watch area and throughout the state should closely monitor their supply sources and notify the Division of Water as water shortages occur,” said Bill Caldwell of Kentucky’s DOW.

For more information about Kentucky’s drought conditions and water conservation measures, visit the Division of Water’s website at www.water.ky.gov/wateruse/drought