Drought

Northwest Dry Spell Almost At An End

Chris Lehman — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:56:41 +0000

The streak of dry weather in much of the Northwest is about to come to a soggy end. A weather system fueled by subtropical moisture is bearing down on the region.

Northwest Farmers Plant Wheat In Dust, Hope For Rain

Anna King — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:20:12 +0000

Most of us may be enjoying the fall sunshine, but Northwest wheat farmers are instead wishing for a little rain. Correspondent Anna King caught up with one Northwest wheat grower in the vast Horse Heaven Hills near Prosser, Washington.

Study: "Megadrought" The New Normal In The West

Ashley Ahearn — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 23:19:07 +0000

The drought that hit the West from 2000-2004 is not only the worst in 800 years, but it could be the new “normal." That’s according to new research in the journal Nature Geoscience.

You’d have to go back to the middle ages to find a period as dry as 2000-2004 in the American West. Snowpack decreased. Crop productivity in much of the west went down by 5 percent. And that’s not the worst of it, the researchers say. Grasses, plants and trees suck up about 30 percent of our CO2 emissions in North America. In the Northwest, that percentage is even higher.

Northwest Farmers Cash In On Strong Grain Prices During Drought

Anna King — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:59:28 +0000

Drought that’s sizzling the rest of the nation has largely left the Northwest states alone. Furthermore, the Midwest’s farmers’ misfortune is actually benefiting farmers here. That’s because grain prices are raising because of the Heartland’s decimated yields. Correspondent Anna King has this report from central Washington’s grain country.

Wheat stubble, grain elevators and whole lot of wide open – that’s Connell, Washington.

There, I caught up with Dana Herron and his partner Craig Teel. The men run a grain seed operation.

Northwest Ag Industry Cashing In On Strong Grain Prices, Yields

Anna King — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 00:43:02 +0000

Drought that’s sizzling the rest of the nation has largely left the Northwest states alone. Furthermore, the Midwest’s farmers’ misfortune is actually benefiting farmers here. That’s because grain prices are going up because of the Heartland’s decimated yields. Meanwhile, many Northwest farmers crops are above average.

Fast Snowmelt Could Spell Water Shortage For Klamath Farmers

Amelia Templeton — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:13:48 +0000

The bureau of reclamation is predicting a water shortage in Oregon’s Klamath basin. The federal water agency has asked Klamath farmers to consider idling their land. Amelia Templeton reports.