It has been weeks since some people in the Eureka Springs area have seen rain, and many are wondering what happened to spring, as it seemed to go from winter to summer without temperate weather in between.
The National Weather Service (NWS) says it was a very dry May in much of Arkansas.
“While not enough rain stressed vegetation, so did too much heat,” the NWS reported. “It was a record warm May across the state, which is stunning because it followed the third coolest April.”
“Amazing how often historically there is record cold and warmth and then it flips the next month,” local weather observer Arthur Bruno said. “Soil moisture is below average for sure, but I think there’s reason believe in a moisture surge this week. Not pressing the drought alarm button just yet. Temps should moderate relative to average this week and beyond. Bear in mind, the average temperature is going up steadily this time of year.”
Local organic farmer Andrew Schwerin said that while it has been dry in June, it is not yet close to the droughts of 2011 and 2012.
“Some areas have had some luck with the scattered rain,” Schwerin said. “Not us. The irrigated garden has become an oasis of food and water for many insects. There’s no growth in the pastures. My sheep are okay for a couple more weeks. I hear that farmers in the area are getting ready to sell animals. There might not be hay production to support large herds this winter.”
Dwayne Allen, director of Public Works for Eureka Springs, said May’s water billing period, which was May 7 through May 21, was 39 percent higher than the same period this past year.
“This May’s gallons billed was the second highest total in the previous ten years,” he said. “I anticipate similar numbers during June’s billing. Periods of dry weather illustrate clearly that the city is more reliant than most water systems on irrigation billing. During 2012 the area experienced a deficit of over fourteen inches in our yearly rainfall creating a banner year for water sales. The rainfall surplus we had earlier this year has disappeared quickly, and we’re currently running a deficit. During an average year, irrigation sales are approximately twenty-five percent of our revenue.”
Allen said weather extremes are a delicate balance: too much rain, and we experience street and wall failures. Not enough rain allows the soil to pull away from our lines, and we experience an increase in water breaks and water loss.
There is a 60 percent chance of rain Wednesday night.
Northwest Arkansas has been cooler than Oklahoma, which has experienced heat advisories and a 300,000-acre grassland fire in April. Ironically, the lack of rain also led to a tornado drought. The NWS said no tornadoes were spawned through April, which set a record for the deepest into a year without one. The previous record was April 26, 1962.
“Across the country, conditions were deteriorating the most in the southern Rockies and southern Plains,” the NWS said. “In these areas, severe to exceptional drought was common. Wildfires were ongoing across portions of Colorado and New Mexico in early June.”
Terry Leiker, gardener for Eureka Springs Parks, is spending 4.5 hours a day watering trying to keep the city gardens alive.
“I can’t rely on the little irrigation we have because it won’t cover everything, so I’m just doing it by hand,” Leiker said. “Memorial Day weekend we had a downpour in Eureka Springs. But I live on Wolf Ridge and we didn’t get anything.”
Leiker said conditions are tough because there was a late frost so people couldn’t plant. Then it went straight to extreme temperatures. Plants in the ground didn’t have time to get medium temperatures ideal for root growth.
“It got too hot,” Leiker said. “Plants are stagnant, and since they don’t have a good root system they drink up all the water people give them but it doesn’t last because the roots didn’t get established real well. They dry up fast because the root system is so small.”
Leiker doesn’t plan to do much more planting because he has his hands full watering.
“Bear with parks,” he said. “We’re trying to make the gardens look good, but we’re fighting the same problem everybody else is.”
Carroll Extension County Family Consumer Science Agent Tamara Allen said she has heard that some people are watering their gardens every day. She works with the Farmers’ Markets in Eureka Springs and Green Forest, and has noticed there is not as much product this year.
“But it may be the time of year,” Allen said. “A man did bring in some beautiful zucchini the other day so I think it hasn’t hit us hard, hard yet. We’re getting some showers around.”