Where’s the water?

By Jason Schaefer

2009 drought projections grim

Central Texas has had one of the driest years in history, and projections for next year don’t look good either.

The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, projects the drought in the region to persist or worsen between January and March.

Total rainfall in the area for 2008 closed at 19.42 inches — a deficit of 15.61 inches — according to the Taylor Texas Weather Network.

“Oh, it’s bad,” Bob Whitney, Williamson County agricultural extension agent, said. “We were anticipating about 20,000 acres of wheat planted and about 1,000 acres surviving.”

At Granger Lake north of Taylor, water has receded hundreds of yards, exposing the lake bed and drying out the mud enough to walk on. While the reservoir is shallow when it’s full, the current maximum is less than five feet, according to Chad Hajda, conservation planner for the Little River-San Gabriel Soil and Water Conservation District.

If conditions persist through 2009, farmers unable to plant corn will likely move to sorghum. If those crops fail, disaster will strike hard, Whitney said.

Central Texas requires a slow-moving cold front during late winter or early spring to get the needed rain, National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Vlaha said.

The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center shows continued dry conditions until March, then the possibility of improvement in the spring. Outlooks are based on weather trends over the last 10 years.