TILLMAN COUNTY, Okla_Area farmers
and ranchers hoped the occasional splash of rain we've seen so far might mean a
milder summer, but it's starting to look like a repeat of last year. Drought
conditions are expanding throughout Oklahoma.
Water levels at area ponds are rapidly dropping because of these hot, breezy
days. Forecasters predict little relief in sight as the state enters the
hottest stage of the season.
It's easy to
tell that some ponds are not as full as they need to be. And for area cattlemen, that's a painful
reminder that again this summer, they have to find ways to make sure their
livestock have enough water to survive.
That's the
situation facing one farmer in Tillman
County. A nearly full
pond at Ken Holloway's farm is that way thanks to some water that was pumped
from a nearby lake. He said that is the exception, most of the other ones are slowly
evaporating.
"I've been
on the place 40 years and never seen it low before you could drive across the
bottom of the pond."
Even though his
pond is extremely low Holloway said he's not surprised.
"When we
missed May and no rain it's a pretty good sign that the drought's on again and
that's certainly what appears to have happened."
With experts
predicting little relief ahead for area ponds local farmers have gone from
talking about cattle to current weather conditions.
"We hope
that some of our weather men miss those forecasts. That's all you go for. Meanwhile
we have to do the best with what we can in terms of supplemental feed stuff and
water from other sources."
Options farmers
hope will be enough to make it through another drought year.
"You never
quit sweating in agriculture. You don't see many of us cowboys in the casinos
because we get a big enough gamble out here each day."
Holloway said he hopes it rains soon because having to resort to selling
his cattle to make it through the drought would be a huge financial loss he
doesn't want to think about.
