- Author: Placer County 4-H
There is additional rain in the forecast in the coming days, which is quite needed. To put into perspective the rainfall amounts for this year. January 2014 the Placer County Weather Station recorded 0.5 inches of rainfall and February 2014 to date is 7.88 inches of rainfall. On January 3, the state conducted the first snow survey for the wet season and found that snowpack water content is 20 percent of the average for this time of the year. Even with the precipitation received and projected rainfall, the Sierra Foothills and California is well below the averages for precipitation and water reservoir supply.
Presently, the impacts are most readily apparent within livestock. The effects of the drought will continue to be felt in other areas of agriculture, though, as time moves on. The pasture yields are well below what they have been in the past, so there is a much higher dependency upon feed. 4-H, FFA, farms and ranches now have to deal with the balancing act of buying more feed for their animals to sustain. If there are more animals, the more feed needs to be bought and can take quite a toll monetarily.
Please see the links below for more detailed information about the drought, weather conditions, and drought planning. Additionally, if you have questions about livestock management in this drought, please contact UCCE County Director and Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor Roger Ingram at 530-889-7385 or rsingram@ucanr.edu
http://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/Current_Issues/Drought_Planning/Livestock_Resources/
State of California Drought Information: http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/drought/
California Statewide Water Conditions: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/water_cond.html
US Drought Monitor: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu
UC Davis Rangeland Watershed Laboratory Drought Information: http://rangelandwatersheds.ucdavis.edu/main/drought.html
CDFA Drought Resources: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/drought/