Cherokee County is in a severe drought
By Dwight Otwell Editor

With water tables dropping and brush fires sparking, Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties have been declared in the midst of a severe drought.

Experts with the U.S. Drought Monitor announced that Cherokee Clay, Graham, Haywood and Jackson counties and parts of Swain, Madison and Macon counties are in a severe hydrological drought. Most of the rest of western North Carolina is experiencing moderate drought conditions, said Woody Yonts, chairman of the N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council, which is composed of state experts who made the recommendation.

Jamie Kritzer, with the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said the NC Drought Management Advisory Council determined that the western most portion of the state is in a severe drought based on stream levels that are well below normal for this time of year. Precipitation is 25 to 50 percent below normal for this time of year, he said.

"The council is trying to be pro-active," Kritzer said. "They are saying that if this trend continues, reservoir levels will be decreasing. If dry weather continues into the summer and fall, there could be a serious issue."

He said that the passing thunderstorms won't make a significant difference. We need some good, sustained rainfall to make an impact.

Hydrological drought refers to deficiencies in water resources available for water supply and is measured based on streamflows as well as lake, reservoir and ground water levels. Even after recent rains, the areas experiencing severe drought are seeing stream flows at near-record low levels and ground water levels below normal for this time of year.

State drought officials are urging people in western North Carolina to conserve water.

Chris Dickey, owner of Cherokee Well Drilling, said he hasn't seen wells going dry except for a few wells that were very low yield to begin with.

Most of the drilled wells are in the bedrock and there have been no problems, he said.

"There is no big rash of wells going dry," he said. "Our well averages have typically gotten deeper every year. We've been in a droughyt for six or seven years."

Dickey said some springs have gone dry. Many of the surface water springs have "really pulled back", he said.

Doug Clements, with the North Carolina Extension Service, said we are just getting into the growing season for agriculture. Farmers are still trying to recover from the recent frost damage, he said. But if we don't get some soaking rains soon, there will be major problems with the growing season, he said. He said the last he heard, we were 11 or 12 inches of rain short of normal.

Keith Wood, horticultural agent with the Extension Service, said the drought has already cut back hay crops. But it is still a little early for the drought to severely damage crops.

"The water tables are dropping and the thunderstorms are spoon feeding us but we need several good rains," he said. "If it stays this way it will get serious. In recent years we have started out dry and it gets wet in the summer. I hope that holds true for this year."

Wood said higher ground pastures aren't as productive as they should be because of the drought. Wood hasn't heard of widespread complaints from people having well problems.

As far as agricultural problems from the drought, Wood said there are no major problems yet because it is early in the season but "it could get serious."

Officials with the N.C. Division of Forest Resources say dry conditions statewide are creating high potential for wildfires. They urge people to postpone outdoor burning until rainfall levels return to normal.

Cherokee County Fire Marshal W.C. King said there have already been many more fires this year than normal. On May 2 a fire on Tyler Ridge in Hanging Dog burned an estimated 40 acres. It appears that the fire started because of land clearing, King said.

A fire on Wilscott Mountain in late April burned a house to the ground and damaged another house as about 60 acres were burned.

"Dry conditions don't cause fires but they provide the situation for controlled fires to become uncontrolled," King said. "A little, burning ember can land somewhere else and start a fire".

In both the Wilscott Mountain (Waters Edge) and Tyler Ridge fires, the wind carried burning debris in updrafts in another direction. In dry, windy conditions, the potential for a spot fire is much greater.