Little snow pack and virtually no spring precipitation has left most farmers in a similar situation of not enough water to maximize crop yields. The situation has been complicated by unusual temperature extremes early on in the season with isolated incidences of frost damaged hay and cereal grain crops. The unseasonal heat the past few weeks has also taken its toll on corn and alfalfa yields. Some farmers are reporting up to 30% reduction in tonages harvested to date. With little relief in sight many people are deciding which crops to use their remaining water on to get the best return. This weather pattern is so different from last year in both water precipitation as well as temperature. All across the U.S. similar situations exist. Individual canal companies are evaluating the necessity of allocating additional stored water from the strawberry bank to supplement the low snow pack.
