Leaders Face Tough Calls As Drought Intensifies

ATLANTA – After one of the driest springs in recent history, and looking ahead to a parched weather forecast, Georgia farmers, environmental officials and local authorities face some tough decisions about using water.

The lingering drought – now categorized as “extreme” in 74 Georgia counties – has already led state authorities to limit outdoor water use to only a few days each week. If it intensifies, state officials could soon decide whether to limit most outdoor watering to one weekend day or even ban it altogether.

“Obviously if conditions continue, that’s an option the state will have to look at,” said state climatologist David Stooksbury, who said Richmond, Columbia, Lincoln and Burke counties are in a moderate drought.

Farmers are also facing their own tough decision: Whether planting some crops is even worth the hassle. The state’s $50 billion agricultural industry is already under siege from the drought, and the outlook is withering.

Staples such as corn, which usually soak up water around this time of the year, are particularly suffering. Georgia peanut farmers, who typically plant the seeds in May, are holding off for now.

“We’re quickly running out of May, and we don’t have much of our peanut crop planted,” said John Beasley, peanut agronomist with the University of Georgia.

Once peanuts are planted, they can survive for a few weeks or so without water. But if they get no more than a sprinkling of rain, then they’ll likely rot and deteriorate.

“It’s devastating,” said Mr. Beasley, summing up the peanut farmer’s dilemma. “Do I take my chances and plant my crops? Some of our farmers must soon decide whether to plant at all.”

Even farmers who irrigate are in a bind. Many farm ponds that ordinarily supply irrigation systems did not refill over the winter because of below-normal rainfall, according to scientists at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

After a dry fall and winter, the state Environmental Protection Division decided in April to declare a “level two” drought, which triggered statewide restrictions.

Residents of Richmond and Columbia counties with odd-numbered addresses may water only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays between midnight and 10 a.m. Those with even-numbered and unnumbered addresses may water only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between midnight and 10 a.m. No watering is allowed on Mondays.

The restrictions do not apply to many commercial outdoor uses, including landscaping, car wash operators and construction sites.

State environmental officials said they have no data to show how well the restrictions are being followed. Enforcing the rules is up to each local jurisdiction.

If enforced, penalties for water usage violations can range from a written warning to a $1,000 fine and 60 days in jail.

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