Idaho Enters Winter Dry, Parched, and Thirsty

We’ve had a couple of rainy days in recent weeks, but what we really need is a prolonged period of rain that lasts three days to a week.  Alas, it doesn’t look like it’s coming anytime soon.  I pulled up a long-range forecast, and it shows rain by Thursday of next week.  Experience tells me that by Tuesday of next week, the Thursday forecast will show clouds or partly cloudy.  I live in northern Twin Falls County, which is currently experiencing a severe drought.

The Grass Isn't Always Greener

Things are a lot worse in the panhandle, which I usually associate with a wetter climate.  Multiple forecasts suggest a snowier-than-average winter, and my feelings are divided.  I dislike driving in snow and walking on ice, but I am aware we need some moisture in the mountains for spring runoff.

This Could Last Another Century or More

Droughts are common in the American West, and I’ve read that 30-year stretches are historically accurate, but what we’re experiencing is above the norm.  Former Jerome County Commissioner Roger Morley told me we’ve seen a gradual drying trend in the Magic Valley for more than 40 years.  A scientist friend in Kentucky shared with me that there are soil records indicating 200-year droughts over the last several millennia.  Maybe we’re above average, or maybe we’re at the beginning!

Give credit to efforts at water management that have greatly increased efficiency, but every time I see a sprinkler hosing pavement, I get a little depressed.  If projected population growth is accurate, there’s going to be a crisis in another generation.  Let your kids carry that burden, along with the weight of government debt!