As Georgia enters fall, concerns about the current drought’s
impacts on water
resources, wildfire potential and agriculture are mounting.

The Palmer Drought Severity Index, a measure of hydrological
drought, indicates that
southwest and west central Georgia are having an extreme
drought.

The rest of Georgia is in severe drought except in the
northwest and north central
regions, which are classified as being in moderate drought.

Low River Flows

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, several Georia
rivers
are running near record
low flows. These include the Flint, Ocumulgee, Altamaha, Etowah,
and Tallulah Rivers.

Low river flows can imperil municipal water supplies, raise
the water temperature,
decrease dissolved oxygen levels and increase the concentration
of pollutants. Near the
coast, low river flows allow increased saltwater movement
upstream and increased salinity
in coastal marshes.

Wildfires a
Threat

Wildfires are also a concern across Georgia. The Georgia
Forestry Commission has issued
an advisory against outdoor burning.

“If it’s absolutely necessary to burn outside, extreme
precautions should be
taken, because Georgia is undergoing an extreme drought,”
said Alan Dozier, GFC Chief
of Forest Protection. “A single spark can set off a wildfire
that could burn hundreds
of acres.”

Because of the drought, all GFC firefighting crews and
cooperators are on 24-hour
alert. In August, GFC reports twice the normal number of forest
fires, with 3,522 acres
burned.

Crops’
Condition Declining

Major crops continued to deteriorate last week, according to
the Georgia Agricultural
Statistics Service. GASS rated 47 percent of the soybean crop,
40
percent of the cotton,
59 percent of pastures and 25 percent of pecans were rated in
poor to very poor condition.

Most of the major crops in Georgia have already been made or
ruined by the drought.
Many farmers don’t want rain now, because it would delay
harvesting. Wind from a tropical
storm would reduce yields by damaging crops that are ready for
harvest.

Rain Would Help
Some

However, rainfall would be beneficial for beef and dairy
farmers. It would improve
pastures, decrease the need for supplemental feeding and
possibly
allow for another hay
harvest.

Rain is needed for fall plantings, too. Most soils in the
state are too dry for good
seed germination. GASS reports that moisture is short to very
short in 81 percent of the
state’s soils.

The Crop Moisture Index rates the soils in southwest Georgia
as extremely dry, with
most dryland crops ruined. Soils in west central and northwest
Georgia are severely dry,
with potential dryland yields severely cut.

Yield prospects are reduced by excessively dry soils in
southeast, central, and east
central Georgia. Abnormally dry soils are found in south
central,
north central and
northeast Georgia.

Bright Spots

The tourism industry in the north Georgia mountains will be
one of the few benefactors
from the drought. The leaves this fall should have average to
above average color. The
wine industry should also benefit from the dry weather.