Remember the rain that finally came last week; and now a little bit more as the second full week of September comes around? East Falmouth farmer Geoff Andrews, who runs Tony Andrews Farm, has two words for it: ‘dust control’. And nothing more.
“It didn’t do us any good,” he said.
As someone who farms for a living, Andrews doesn’t need a rain gauge or meteorological report to know if there’s been enough rain to end a drought. He already knows what state environmental agencies are reporting: Despite the few gray and rainy days September has brought so far, Cape Cod remains in stage three of a “critical” drought.
Aside from the state’s western quarter, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and the southeast corner of Massachusetts — where last week’s rains slightly improved drought status from “critical” to “severe” Level Two drought — the rest of the state also remains in a ” critical” drought.
“While recent rainfall has brought some improvements to power flow and local water supplies across the state, we still have a long way to go. The Commonwealth continues to experience widespread drought in all regions of the state,” said Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environment Beth Card.
Here there were “rather large fluctuations in precipitation” in the north-east. The highest totals were recorded in northern Connecticut through southeastern Massachusetts west of the Cape Cod Canal, where totals ranged from 3 to 6 inches, with few localized areas over 6 inches — near normal to more than 3 inches above normal , according to National Oceanic and the Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service.
On the trail of precipitation
The lowest rainfall was in western and northern Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands, ranging from 1 to 3 inches below normal. Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket reported less than 2.5 inches of rainfall in August.
In the first week of September, 6 inches of rain fell over most of the state except for the Cape and Islands, which reported less than an inch of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, August temperatures averaged 3 to 7 degrees above normal.
“The combination of mostly below normal rainfall and temperatures above to well above normal this summer caused drought conditions to worsen throughout the season,” the National Weather Service said in a Sept. 9 advisory.
The Weather Service noted that water tables “typically respond more slowly to drought conditions,” and reported that southern New England water tables continue to range from “normal to well below normal.”
“Soil moisture was below to well below normal, except for localized areas affected by recent thunderstorms,” the agency said.
“96 days late”
‘Tim Friary of Barnstable’s Cape Cod Organic Farm shares Andrews’ assessment of late season rainfall. Although the small amount of rain gives him a brief respite from the constant watering work this summer, it brings no measurable help.
“As far as it’s done something substantial about the drought, it’s done nothing,” he said.
Andrews said the rain was “96 days too late” to help. He has kept his 28 acres of farmland alive through constant, daily watering efforts and sheer determination.
“We spent $8,000 on irrigation alone,” he said, “$600 is normal.”
The amount he spent on irrigation was comparable to giving away three acres of corn, Andrews said.
He’s seen dry years years ago, but “that was the worst season in the world… the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s like Arizona or New Mexico.”
It doesn’t help that Cape Cod has to struggle with so-called “Carver Grobboden”.
“It doesn’t retain moisture.” he said. “It’s brown sand.”
Andrews likens the Cape Cod soil to a “bone-dry” kitchen sponge — if you hold it under water, the water “beads up very quickly” rather than soaking. The sponge must first soak for a while before it can be wrung out and become useful. He applies this idea to his watering method, saying that he first wets the soil to make it moist before fully watering it.
“Now it will hold back the water,” he explained instead of draining. Andrews has been watering 12 hours every day since June 15. This is time consuming and expensive.
“Fifty-eight, 59 days in the drought? I almost quit,” he said. But: “I don’t like failure. I’m broke but I won. It goes through thick and thin. I try to keep that legacy alive for my father.”
Concerned about his fellow farmers, particularly those who are about to make the decision to retire or those who have just started farming, Andrews describes this year as “a real test” for any farmer .
He is part of a cooperative of local farmers who have complained about the challenges of drought and the challenges it brings on Cape Cod, with its uniquely difficult soil and restrictions on soil amendments – not to mention worries about how climate will affect their livelihoods . Some have talked about giving it a break.
“I’ll give them a little nudge. You want to retire. I tell them, ‘Hang on, hang on,'” Andrews said.
This is the kind of year, he said, “to break a pawn”.
Friary agrees that farmers face an uphill battle, not only because of the current drought but also when looking to the future. Climate change brings “events,” he said.
“Unfortunately, it’s a drought at the moment,” he said.
The next could be a major hurricane, he said, or too cold temperatures or too much rain.
“I don’t think anything will be small anymore,” Friary said.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs acknowledges the impact of the drought on the agricultural sector, noting that it has resulted in depletion of water sources and production areas, increased irrigation of crops, lower than normal yields and undersized in some areas fruit or vegetables and higher operating costs.
To support farms, the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Aug. 15 designated nine counties in Massachusetts — including Barnstable County — as primary natural disaster areas and three counties as contiguous disaster areas due to the 2022 drought.
“A USDA Secretariat disaster designation qualifies farm operators in the primary and adjacent counties to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) assistance such as FSA emergency loans, provided eligibility requirements are met,” the state agency said. “Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans.”
For more information about USDA’s disaster assistance programs, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/index
The US Small Business Administration also announced that federal economic damage catastrophe loans are now available in the designated and adjacent counties. Small businesses, small farming cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations experiencing economic losses due to drought would be eligible for the loans. Visit www.sba.gov for more information
Key: water protection and fighting forest fires
As “critical” and “severe” drought conditions continue, the state drought management task force and other environmental agencies are urging people to continue taking precautions to prevent wildfires and to be careful with their water use.
“Although there has been a slew of helpful rain in many areas of the Commonwealth in recent days, it is important to remember that the effects of the drought have taken months to develop and are lasting for more than a few rainy days until they are resolved,” said acting director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Dawn Brantley. “Hopefully we will continue to get additional rain, but until then we must continue to be mindful of our daily water use and remain vigilant to prevent bush and wildfires in our communities.”
According to the Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs, there have been about 905 reports of wildfires in the state so far, burning an estimated 1,485 acres. A total of 137 fires were recorded in August alone “during some of the highest drought indices since 2016” – compared to 24 wildfires reported in August 2021.
Until further notice, the Department of Conservation and Recreation has requested a temporary ban on all open flame and charcoal fires within State Park properties.
During the ban, small portable propane grills will continue to be allowed in campgrounds and recreational areas where grilling is permitted.
Water use recommendations have also been issued, in addition to a reminder to check if tighter local watering restrictions apply.
In the “Critical” Stage 3 drought areas, residents and businesses are being urged to stop all non-essential outdoor irrigation and minimize overall water use.
In the “significant” Stage 2 drought areas, residents and businesses are being urged to minimize overall water use and limit outdoor watering to hand hoses or watering cans after 5pm or before 9am
“It takes time to recover from a drought. Given this fact and the variation in rainfall across the Commonwealth by location, water users should continue to follow the advice of their public water system and conserve as much water as possible,” said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg.
Government agencies continue to monitor and assess drought conditions and any impacts. The drought management task force will meet again on September 22nd.
For the most up-to-date information on drought indices, visit the state’s Drought Dashboard page at www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-drought-resources
In addition, the Commonwealth polls the public on the impact of drought. To participate, visit the Massachusetts Water Impact Reporter’s website at tinyurl.com/MAdroughtsurvey