Nothing But Bad News At Drought Meeting

Feb. 4, 2003
By the Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) More grasshoppers, along with spider mites and cinch bugs.

Increased threats of wildfires fueled by high winds and dry conditions not seen since the Dust Bowl.

Higher temperatures and even less rain.

Blowing soil.

The news was almost all bad at the year's first meeting of Governor Mike Johanns' drought task force on Monday.

Dry conditions the past three years, combined with a winter that is shaping up to produce an equally or even more dry spring and summer, warrants the dire predictions, Johanns and task force members were told.

"I hate to be so negative," state climatologist Al Dutcher said after ending his presentation with a warning that there will be more insects, fires and blowing soil this summer than last unless there is a break in the dry weather pattern.

"It probably won't break," Dutcher said.

Johanns called the meeting to be brought up to date on the drought that last summer was estimated to have had a $1.2 billion impact on Nebraska's economy.

Last year was the third driest year on record in Nebraska, said Mark Svoboda with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In the Panhandle and southwest corner of the state, it was the driest year since 1895, Svoboda said.

"The tap has been turned off across southern Nebraska," he said.

The snow that fell across the state on Tuesday, even as the meeting was proceeding in the state Capitol, will do little to alleviate the drought, Svoboda said.

"At least it settles the dust," he said.

Nebraska can't look to its neighbors for any relief.

Reservoirs in Colorado and Wyoming that serve Nebraska are well below average, and inflows into Nebraska reservoirs are expected to be well below normal, Svoboda said.

Lake McConaughy, the state's largest reservoir, is 41% of capacity.

Drought will be the focus of Johanns' agriculture conference scheduled for March 4 and 5 in Kearney. The theme of the conference is "Building Opportunities in an Era of Change."

While trade and other issues will be discussed at the annual agriculture meeting, Johanns said, drought will never be far from the minds of those in attendance.

The keynote speaker will be Chuck Connor, special assistant to President Bush for agricultural trade and food assistance.

In his State of the Union address last week, Bush did not talk about agriculture or drought.

Johanns said he would have liked to have seen the president emphasize the issue, but he realized Bush wanted to focus on a possible war with Iraq and his budget.

"I don't see that as an intentional slight or oversight on his part," Johanns said.

Other speakers include Christian Berger, France's agricultural counselor, and Steve Kopperud with Policy Directions, Inc., a Washington, D.C., government affairs company.

Topics to be covered, in addition to drought, include international marketing successes, research tools available for Nebraska producers and biosecurity.

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