Drought worsens across state

Farmers and gardeners alike welcomed the thunderstorms that rolled across the parched region Thursday. But few expected the rains that fell in portions of Minnesota could wash away a deepening drought that has shriveled crops and depleted rivers and lakes.

The lack of precipitation isn't a crisis, but the strain is beginning to show in many different places: the failure of two city wells in Chanhassen, browning leaves at the Minnesota Arboretum, a massive fish kill in Hutchinson that had to be cleaned up with a backhoe.

Twenty-four percent of the state now suffers from severe drought conditions, up from 4 percent last week, according to a report Thursday from the National Drought Mitigation Center. Eighty-two percent of the state is now rated abnormally dry.

With farmers beginning to report some crop damage, Gov. Tim Pawlenty asked the federal Farm Service Agency to begin a formal crop damage assessment, a preliminary step to applying for disaster aid.

Perry Aasness, executive director of the Farm Service Agency in Minnesota, said he's getting reports of hay failure and damage to small grains and corn. With corn at a critical stage in its growth, the need for timely rain is urgent.

Gyles Randall, soil scientist at the University of Minnesota's Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca, said corn in south-central Minnesota is "just hanging on; west of here it's beyond hanging on."

Minnesotans heard the same news at midsummer last year, and farmers gathered the greatest sugar beet crop on record and the second-greatest corn crop. But climate experts caution that trouble can mount after successive seasons of drought.

Assistant state climatologist Pete Boulay said rainfall across much of the southern and eastern halves of the state is running at about two-thirds normal since April 1. An inch of rain might help crops and gardens for a week but no longer, given the lack of reserves in the soil.

The Mississippi River at Anoka is running at about one-fourth its median flow for this time of year. That's slightly lower than at this time last year, Boulay noted, but greater than it was during the 1988 drought and nearly double its record low flow in 1936.

Boulay said Thursday night that his office would begin to analyze the day's rainfall totals today and the effect on the drought.

"It would take something extraordinary to even make a dent in it," Boulay said.

A backhoe was called in to remove dead fish from a stretch of the south fork of the Crow River near downtown Hutchinson last week when low water levels left fish stranded downstream from the Main Street bridge. Workers removed about 23 tons of dead fish, mostly carp, from the river, said John Olson, Hutchinson public works superintendent.

"It's right in the heart of the city, and that's why we felt like we needed to clean some of that up," he said. "You can still smell it, but it's not what it would have been. It was pretty bad."

Hard times for plants

In Chanhassen, one of the metro-area municipalities that announced a sprinkling ban this week, city officials have issued about 30 citations for noncompliance. Still, said Public Works Director Paul Oehme, 90 percent of city residents appear to be abiding by the ban.

Using water from Green Heron Pond on its property and a well, the nearby Minnesota Landscape Arboretum has had to prioritize, choosing to concentrate watering on the highest-need areas, such as the rose gardens, annual plantings and newly planted trees.

The landscape is "very dry, and much of the turf is completely brown," said Peter Moe, director of operations at the arboretum. "Many of the older trees are showing signs of drought stress: their leaves are drooping, browning and coloring early."

In Eden Prairie, the parks are subject to the same odd-even watering restrictions as the rest of the city. The Park and Recreation Department now is watering only nine of its competitive athletic fields; two of those are watered from on-site wells.

Parks and Natural Resources Manager Stuart Fox notes that while the city is spending less time mowing, the lack of water is taking its toll on the rest of the parks.

"We went through this in 1988," he said. "We've seen these types of situations of prolonged drought. There is some possibility of some turf mortality, but at the same time we're at the mercy of the weather. ... If we do end up losing some turf areas, we'll have to do re-seeding. If we lose some trees, we'll have to assess whether we'll have to replace them or get by without them."

Drinking-water quality is safe

In Minneapolis, city spokesman Matt Laible said there are no concerns about the level of the Mississippi River, or the quality of the city's drinking water. There is no watering ban in the city of Minneapolis, and Laible noted that hasn't happened since the drought of 1988.

Still, the effects of the heat and drought are apparent in the Minneapolis parks, said parks spokeswoman Dawn Sommers. In particular, parks staff have reported less runner traffic and use of the city's Grand Rounds trails.

"In the summertime when it's not packed, it's kind of noticeable," she said.

Youth sports activities in Minneapolis also were canceled Thursday due to the heat.

At the same time, overheated residents have flocked to the city's beaches, water parks and pools, she said.

In Minneapolis, the park board also maintains street trees; the city planted about 3,500 trees this year. Water trucks visit only the most at-risk trees; residents are expected to help take care of trees that front their property, Sommers said.

"You should water the trees whether they look stressed or not, because be assured, they are," she said, noting that stressed trees release a pheromone that attracts harmful insects.

mcaul@startribune.com 612-673-7646 mbaca@startribune.com 612-673-4409