Dry conditions continue to plague area

    The condition of fields and pastures in southwest Nebraska continues to be of concern as hot weather and nonexistent moisture plague Chase County and its neighbors.
    After just .05 of an inch of moisture fell in August, accompanied with many days at 100 degrees or higher, it’s taking its toll on the ground.
    Dr. Troy Worth, DVM, who sees a lot of pastures as he’s out tending to ranchers’ herds, said he’s lived in Imperial 12 years and “this is the worst I’ve seen.”
    While he said a lot of the grass in this area “knows how to survive” and is going dormant, it’s going to mean some changes down the road.
    “The big risk now is overgrazing and that’s easy to do,” he said.
    The shorter the grass gets to the ground, the smaller the root mass becomes, he said, so next year, it will have to grow back more root mass.
    “And, that usually takes 2-3 years with some moisture,” he said.
    It means running fewer cows on that ground as it recovers.
    So far in 2022, according to Mike Francis, who reports temperatures and moisture totals for the National Weather Service, Imperial has received just 10.48” of moisture through August.
    Imperial Fire Chief Doug Mitchell, who also said he’s never seen it this bad, said the no burning ban remains in effect throughout the fire district.
    He’s also witnessed the effect on the county roads, which are very dry and dangerous in spots, he said.
    “The county can’t do much about that with no moisture,” he said.