drought

Bill to Help Mississippi River Adapt to Drought

Scott Stuntz — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:48:03 +0000

US Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois recently introduced a bill to help the nation prepare to deal with the effects of future droughts on the Mississippi river.

Drought Hit Western IL Crops Unevenly

Scott Stuntz — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:01:03 +0000

Recently released numbers by the USDA show that the drought affected crop yields last hear differently across Western Illinois.

Corn yields in McDonough and Mason counties were down thirty bushels per acre from last year. Adams and Pike County were down 60 bushels while Mercer County was actually up twenty.

Sensor Network to Provide IA Drought Data

Scott Stuntz — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:51:29 +0000

During last summer’s drought it was difficult for farmers to get accurate data on how dry the soil was. An Iowa State University project that’s been in the works for several years, will change that.

IL Deer Harvest Largely Unaffected by Drought

Scott Stuntz — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:38:56 +0000

One thing the ongoing drought did not seem to affect was the number of deer in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources said hunters killed nearly 181-thousand deer, only one thousand less than one year ago.

How Bad was the Drought for IL Farmers in 2012?

Scott Stuntz — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:38:26 +0000

It was fairly obvious that the drought hit farmers hard this year, but how hard?
For Illinois, both corn and soybean yield were below expectations for 2012. But Angie Peltier with the Monmouth office of University of Illinois Extension says soybeans fared much better than corn.

Cities Experiencing Water Main Breaks

Jason Parrott — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:17:05 +0000

Cities throughout the Tri-State region are seeing an increase in broken water lines.

Despite Drought, Western IL Farmers may be OK this Spring

Scott Stuntz — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:02:35 +0000

Even though it's sometimes referred to as “this summer’s drought," Western Illinois is still in drought conditions.

The most recent USDA Drought Monitor Map lists the region as being in moderate drought.

Non-Profit Helps Those Needing Water

Scott Stuntz — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:34:45 +0000

Non-profits help those in the region who are in need of food. Now because of the drought, an increasing number of people need help getting access to water as well.

Drought Exposing Problems in the Mississippi

Scott Stuntz — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:14:36 +0000

The Illinois Corn Growers Association is calling for immediate action to keep the traffic moving on the Mississippi river.
The river has dropped because of this summer’s drought. The group said that this is exposing underwater obstacles which are preventing barges from transporting goods along the river.

Falling Water in the Mississippi Could be Helped by the Missouri

Scott Stuntz — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:09:33 +0000

The lower Mississippi River may soon experience record low levels last seen in the 1930’s. That’s according to the Army Corps of Engineers, who are responsible for the Lock and Damn system which keeps the upper Mississippi navigable despite the drought.