Athens is currently experiencing a D4 exceptional drought level as of Aug. 29, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly report.
At the D-4 level, possible impacts could be widespread crop and pasture losses and shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells creating water emergencies, according to the National Weather Service.
Ryan Fogt, a professor of meteorology and Scalia Lab Director, said the ramifications will be seen mostly within local farming in Athens.
“There will be big impacts on crop yields, the time of harvest, selling livestock early, if they own livestock, just because they’re not able to support or maintain the livestock that they have,” Fogt said.
Paul Tomcho, owner of Creekside Farm, a local goat dairy farm, is experiencing the drought’s effects firsthand with his land and livestock.
“We have about 125 acres, so we really rely on the pastures, the grasses and weeds and things like that growing and with the drought since about early June, it’s been about 6 to 10 inches below what we should be in rainfall,” Tomcho said.
Tomcho said the poor pasture growth has made it difficult to have enough feed for the animals. Similarly, Whole Farm Manager at Rural Action Katie Lloyd said the crop loss has been significant for those who have livestock at a time when they would typically be cutting hay.
“There has been so little rain that these plants, or the growth, can’t recover even if there is rain,” Lloyd said.
On top of that, hydrological impacts have already been seen in the county's waterways and further.
“The Hocking is really low; it’s almost dried up near Logan, and in Athens here, it’s at its minimum,” Fogt said. “It’s just really reduced water supply in the Hocking that feeds into the Ohio and then downstream all the way into the Mississippi.”
Farmer’s irrigation systems are seeing repercussions from the exceptional drought as well.
“We have two perennial creeks, so creeks are running around our property, and they’re both dry,” Tomcho said.
In response to the list of counties in Ohio deemed in exceptional drought, the State Fire Marshal implemented an open-burn ban, prohibiting certain outdoor activities such as smoking, fireworks, and bonfires.
“Fire safety is a responsibility we all share,” State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon said in a statement from Sept. 6. “It’s critical that Ohioans understand and appreciate the significant risks with fires, especially during the current drought conditions.”
With the depth of drought the county is in, small incidences could cause large impacts.
“There’s just a risk of larger, uncontained and maybe catastrophic wildfires that could spark from small little campfires now because it’s just so dry, the vegetation is so dry, the trees are so dry that they’re prone to be more subtle to fire,” Fogt said.
In light of the exceptional drought, 22 Ohio counties, including Athens, were declared aprimary natural disaster area. Designating it as such permits the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to assist local farmers financially through FSA emergency loan assistance, and other disaster assistance programs.
A press release from Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office was sent to Southeast Ohio Farmers, providing information about a webinar this Thursday.
“These drought conditions are threatening livestock and this growing season – placing farmers under severe financial strain,” the release wrote.
Sen. Brown will speak at the Webinar to explain what USDA resources are available for local farmers to assist them financially during this exceptional drought.
“Farmers are already unduly burdened by the cost of running a farm,” Lloyd said. “It’s expensive enough running a farm normally, let alone under drought conditions.”
The current drought in Athens is the most severe the state of Ohio has had since the U.S. Drought Monitor was founded in 1999.
“This is kind of (a) record-breaking extreme here,” Fogt said. “It’s not something we’ve experienced before, at least in the last several decades.”
