Crops, cattle struggle without enough moisture in Skagit County, Washington
10/12/2023 1:56:55 AM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
Plants & Wildlife
Relief, Response & Restrictions
Water Supply & Quality
AFFECTED AREAS:
Skagit County, WA
Start Date: 7/10/2023
- End Date: 10/7/2023
A Skagit County hay grower without irrigation found that his production was down 30%. He had to sell some cattle early. A nonprofit farm animal rescue organization that usually buys hay from the grower was struggling to find enough hay.
A potato grower had to irrigate his potato field to help them emerge for the first time. Water was purchased from the Skagit Public Utility District. One farmer was not able to irrigate his crops for three weeks after the level of the Skagit River dropped too low.
Early snowmelt, a lack of spring rain and low stream flows led the state Department of Ecology to declare a drought emergency in 12 counties in July, including parts of Skagit County.
GoSkagit (Mount Vernon, Wash.), Oct 7, 2023
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