Drought

Kansas farmlands were scorched last summer by extreme heat, and no moisture. There were massive crop losses and ranchers had to sell off herds due to rising costs of feed and water. This spring, the rains have returned. But it may be too late to help your next grocery bill. "You come on out in the wheat and there is good moisture," said Sumner County Farmer Scott Van Allen. Van Allen likes what he sees this season. Timely rains have kept his 2,500 acres of wheat healthy so far, much different than last spring.

They can be the pride of older neighborhoods, tree lined streets.  But if you drive around Wichita, you might notice some getting chopped down.  As we go into the fall, the city is working to remove dead and dying trees from public right of way.  "God has not blessed us with enough rain in the past 2 years, not enough snow, not enough rain," said city arborist Gary Farris. That's why many older trees in Wichita are coming down.  "The trees are just tired and they're giving out.  And when they give out, they pose a risk to public safety.  "With storms and tornadoes and stuff, it's a hazard," Farris said.

You wouldn't know we're in the middle of a drought by looking at Ken Tector's lawn. "It's pretty good for the heat,” Tector said. He's trying to keep his grass green, considering what happened during last year's dry period. "This is rebel fescue.  We replanted it last fall because everything was dead,” Tector said. And he doesn't want a repeat.  Neither do the countless callers trying to squeeze every last drop of information from Sedgwick County Extension horticulture agent, Rebecca McMahon.

As the weather warms up, more people will be getting outside.  But the drought also has dealers talking at the Kansas Pavilions.  They're setting up for the annual Sport Boat and Travel Show. Dry conditions have led to low lake levels which can mean less interest in water craft.  Ross Reid runs Mid-America Power Sports.  He tells us he's putting more focus on ATV's and dirt bikes. "I wouldn't want to be a boat only dealer right now in this area of the country or the state because I can't imagine it not affecting him".     Reid says there is help for boat sales, from people who take their boats to lakes in nearby states like Oklahoma and Missouri.

As Kansas waits for rain and snow, many wonder what will happen if the extremely dry conditions continue. "I could see a large what looked like a thunderstorm, only it was not black. It was brown, it was dirt," said lifelong farmer Alvin Herbers.   It's a party of history only a few actually remember, but many have studied.  Now the hope is that the Dust Bowl is not repeated.  "Well it was bad back then, I was born in 26, so I wasn't very old when the Dust Bowl was moving in," Herbers said.

Docks still sit flat on the ground and culverts are filled with dirt at Cheney Lake. But the lingering drought conditions have not scared potential boat buyers. More than 125 vendors packed the Kansas Pavilions for the Kansas Sports, Boat and Travel show. For more than 50 years, the show is known for showcasing the newest and flashiest boats on the market. Despite fears that the on-going drought would discourage people from buying boats, some dealers say sales have remained steady.

Recent rains have helped fill up Kansas rivers and back yard ponds, but it's only making a dent in our ongoing drought. This week, much of the state is still experiencing extreme to exceptional drought conditions. Click here to see US Drought Monitor The Arkansas River is full again and flowing strong. A few people kayaking were on the water Sunday, something that hasn't been possible in months due to dry conditions. They can thank a wet spring for some of that extra water.

In an effort to save something from a corn crop scorched by this drought some Kansans are feeding the damaged corn to their cattle.  The only problem?  It can be toxic to animals.  In Wisconsin some cattle have already died. It seems like a simple solution to another crop ravaged by the drought, cut what remains of the crop, corn or otherwise, and use it for food. “The only way to get rid of that is to feed it to cattle,” said Leland Entz, a farmer who also runs cattle near Whitewater.

The weather is hot and the weather is dry and the Sedgwick County Fire Department wants everyone to know this is not a good combination when it comes to safety of your natural gas lines. The department warns, by not watering the lawn, the soil can become cracked, harden and settle which could damage a gas line. "With the dry conditions you can have stress on that line you can have cracking and settling of the ground which could crack or rupture that pipe," warns Sedgwick County Fire Marshall Tavis Leake.

Nearly a dozen cities already have water restrictions in place, but the Kansas Water Office wants all communities to at least be prepared. Memos are being emailed or mailed to cities and towns acknowledging whether they have a water conservation plan on file with the state, and urging them to create one if they don't. The memo says, "While local conditions clearly vary, I urge everyone to conserve water where possible. " A "Drought Preparedness and Response" webpage has already been created to help communities if they need it. The state has confirmed eleven cities and parts of the three counties are already restricting water usage - among them are Caldwell, Augusta, Mulvane, Goddard, Burns and Hesston.