Industry News - PM

Western snowpack melts early, little remains


By Michael Fielding on 5/11/2015

Snowpack across the western United States has mostly melted, according to data from the fifth 2015 forecast by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

For much of the region, the snowpack at many of the stations is at or near the lowest on record, NRCS Hydrologist David Garen said in a news release. Months of unusually warm temperatures hindered snowpack growth and accelerated its melt.

In Western states where snowmelt accounts for the majority of seasonal water supply, information about snowpack serves as an indicator of future water availability.

Efforts to enact water legislation have been slowed by environmental concerns around diverting water to California’s Central Valley, that state’s agricultural center.

California is in the throes of a third straight year of drought, and there was little relief last winter, the state’s wet season.

The state accounts for only 2 percent of the nation’s beef cow herd and 4 percent of U.S. cattle on feed, but its woes add to those of larger cattle-producing states, such as Texas and Oklahoma. Prolonged drought conditions in these regions have helped reduce cattle supplies nationwide and force a rationalization of slaughter capacity.

Meanwhile, streamflow across the West consists largely of accumulated mountain snow that melts and flows into streams as temperatures warm in spring and summer. National Water and Climate Center scientists analyze the snowpack, precipitation, air temperature and other measurements taken from remote sites to develop the water supply forecasts.

NRCS monitors conditions year-round and will continue to issue monthly forecasts until June. The water supply forecast is part of several USDA efforts to improve public awareness and manage the impacts of climate change, including drought and other extreme weather events.

Through the creation of the National Drought Resilience Partnership, federal agencies are working closely with states, tribes and local governments to develop a coordinated response to drought.

(Editor’s note: For in-depth coverage of drought impacts on the beef industry, visit http://dryagebeef.meatingplace.com.)


 
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