A 40-year drought? Tiny rainfall totals aren't helping much in Douglas County

Douglas County may have had a smattering of rain recently, about an inch and a half in the past week, but it won't have much effect on drought conditions in the area.

That's what experts contend about the lack of rainfall, which some are saying is of historic proportions.

"I have colleagues calling this a 40-year drought," said Robin Trott, Extension educator for Douglas County. "This is the first time it's been this dry in a really long time."

The conditions have made it extremely difficult to keep plants properly hydrated, she said.

"They're not growing. The grass is brown. That's affecting our farms the same way," she said. "If things aren't irrigated, they've gone dormant. …

"We're seeing stunted or reduced growth in our crops, in our gardens," Trott said. "Things that would normally grow very well, it's just too hot and too dry for them to grow really well this year. It's just been a struggle to know what to water and what to let go dormant."

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 52% of the state, including Douglas County, is now experiencing severe drought, and 4% is experiencing extreme drought.

Under current conditions, it will take at least 3-5 inches of precipitation spread over a period of about two weeks to significantly alleviate the drought, the DNR said.

In addition, ALP Utilities implemented Stage 1 mandatory water use restrictions for residents and businesses of Alexandria on Thursday, July 22.

ALP asked its customers to follow odd/even watering guidelines and to alter the times in which they water their lawns and gardens, preferably before 11 a.m. or after 5 p.m., when it is most efficient to avoid excessive evaporation.

Area farmers are doing what they can to cope, some of them relying on irrigation systems.

This is what Berry Ridge Farm west of Alexandria has done, said owner Ron Branch.

"In the past we've been pretty lucky not to have the extreme stuff," Branch said. "I don't remember the beginning of the season, but this year, we started off from kind of cooler (with) no sunshine, to hot with a lot of sunshine, so it's just been a struggle."

"The farmers are doing the best they can," Trott said. "They're always dependent on the weather, and if their fields aren't irrigated, they just have to hope for the best and hope for some rain at the right time.

"There's not much they can do if their fields aren't irrigated, and even if their fields are irrigated, they could end up with a situation similar to the Twin Cities where there are water usage limits," she added.

Branch said in addition to the dryness, the heat has been a big problem, as well.

"The heat has thrown off the annual crops," he said. "They're (growing) a little bit later."

Branch said he tells people to remember that if they feel uncomfortable in the heat, the plants are feeling the same way.

Trott agreed, saying, "It's just a struggle to keep anything growing healthy, to keep it growing the way things have grown in the past. Trees in particular are having a hard time because it's almost impossible to give a mature tree as much water as it needs every week. …

"It's been a struggle and we're seeing a lot of challenged and stressed plants, and when a plant is stressed, it's open to insect infestation, and disease will do more damage than it usually does," she said.

Area lakes are also being affected, Trott said.

"The water levels in our lakes are way down," she said. "There's a lot of algae growth that reduces the amount of oxygen in the water, and that's not good for our wildlife."

This year's drought may be part of a continuing trend, Trott said.

"In Minnesota we have varied years, but if you think about it … we used to have way more severe weather events in the summer than we have had in recent years," she said. "It used to be that at the end of every week it would get hotter and hotter and hotter, and then we would have straight line winds and a big thunderstorm that would cool it off again, and that hasn't happened. If you look at the climatological trends and the people who are supporting the science of climate change, it certainly fits that pattern.

"You just never know what the next season is going to look like," she said.

Branch said he is looking on the bright side.

"The days are getting shorter, so we've got a little less heat on (the crops), and the smoke or sky cover has probably helped a little bit to filter out some of the extreme sun," he said. "It's kind of a trade-off. You just keep plugging away. If you're a farmer you have to be kind of optimistic."