In a year marred by stretches of historically dry weather and less-than-average precipitation, the drought of 2021 is causing farmers and meteorologists alike to draw comparisons to previous major droughts in 2012 and 1988. Although farmers have yet to feel any significant effects from this year’s dry spells, there is concern about what might come next.
In the late 1980s, Wisconsin’s statewide rainfall deficit caused more than $900 million in drought-related crop losses. Rock County experienced deficits for eight months in 1988, with the year ending 5.17 inches below the county’s average annual rainfall, according to historical data provided by the city of Janesville’s Wastewater Utility Office.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm}:4< q2<6C[ 2 7@C>6C 28C:4F=EFC6 65F42E@C 7@C &( tIE6?D:@? :? #@4< r@F?EJ[ DE:== 5:D4FDD6D E96 `hgg 5C@F89E H:E9 =@42= 72C>6CD 3FE D2:5 >2?J 5@?’E E9:?< a_a` DE24<D FA H:E9 E96 5C@F89E :? E96 =2E6 `hg_D]k^Am
kAm“%9:D DF>>6C C6>:?565 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 @7 `hgf[” q2<6C D2:5 :? C676C6?46 E@ E96 D62D@? =625:?8 FA E@ E96 5C@F89E E96 ?6IE J62C]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 `hgg D2H 6IEC6>6 E6>A6C2EFC6D[ q6? |:==6C[ E96 @3D6CG2E:@? AC@8C2> =6256C 2E E96 }2E:@?2= (62E96C $6CG:46 @77:46 :? $F==:G2?[ D2:5 DF>>6C `hgh H2D 24EF2==J 5C:6C 2?5 =67E 2 =2C86C C2:? 567:4:E[ =625:?8 E@ E96 C68:@?’D ?6E AC64:A:E2E:@? =6G6=D DA:C2=:?8 :? E96 J62CD E@ 7@==@H] |:==6C AC@G:565 %96 v2K6EE6 52E2 7@C E96 5C@F89ED @7 `hgg 2?5 a_`a 2?5 82G6 4@>>6?E2CJ @? E96 D:8?:7:42?46 @7 6249 J62C]k^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8m`hgg’D C2:? 567:4:E H2D ;FDE 2 DE2CEk^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAmuFCE96C 4@>A@F?5:?8 E96 5C@F89E[ |2J `hgg DE2CE65 2 CF??:?8 C2:? 567:4:E E96 C68:@? 5:5 ?@E C64@G6C 7C@> F?E:= >:5\`hhb] sFC:?8 E92E E:>6[ D@FE962DE6C? (:D4@?D:? D2H e` 4@?D64FE:G6 >@?E9D @7 :?DF77:4:6?E C2:?72==[ H:E9 E@E2= 567:4:ED A6C:@5:42==J C6249:?8 >@C6 E92? `d :?496D]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 ?@C>2= AC64:A:E2E:@? 5FC:?8 E96 H2C> D62D@?D @7 `hh_ E@ `hha[ E96 2??F2= 567:4:ED =:?86C65] u:?2==J[ 7C@> yF=J `hha E@ yF?6 `hhb[ 2 C2:? DFCA=FD @7 ?62C=J a_ :?496D 3C@F89E #@4< r@F?EJ @FE @7 E96 C65]k^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8ma_`a D66D ‘7=2D9 5C@F89E’k^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAmp7E6C ?62C=J EH@ 564256D @7 C6=2E:G6=J ?@C>2= C2:? A2EE6C?D >2C<65 3J @77D6EE:?8 C64@C5\D6EE:?8 E@E2=D :? a__a 2?5 a__g[ DAC:?8 a_`` D6E E96 DE286 7@C 2?@E96C A6C:@5 @7 56G2DE2E:?8=J 5CJ H62E96C 4F=>:?2E:?8 :? 2 42E2DEC@A9:4 5C@F89E :? a_`a]k^Am
kAm|:==6C FD65 E96 E6C> “7=2D9 5C@F89E” E@ 56D4C:36 E96 :>A24E @7 a_`a’D H62E96C[ ?@E:?8 2 DA6== @7 5CJ H62E96C 4@>3:?65 H:E9 D@2C:?8 E6>A6C2EFC6D] uC@> yF?6 a_`` :?E@ |2J a_`b[ #@4< r@F?EJ D2H DA:<6D :? 567:4:ED C6249:?8 ?62C=J `b :?496D[ 2?5 E6>A6C2EFC6D C@D6 E@ F?D62D@?23=J =6G6=D 7C@> E96 @FED6E] s2E2 7C@> E92E E:>6 D9@HD |2J 2?5 yF?6 2=@?6 D2H `c 52JD @7 h_\568C66 C625:?8D[ 7@==@H65 3J 2 H2C> 72== 2?5 H:?E6C]k^Am
kAms@F8 #63@FE[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 (:D4@?D:? r@C? vC@H6CD pDD@4:2E:@? 2?5 A2CE?6C 2E E96 #63@FE 2?5 $@?D u2C>[ C642==65 E96 3FC?65 4C@AD 2?5 32CC6? 9:==D:56D :? a_`a E92E 492C24E6C:K65 2? F?AC64656?E65 J62C @7 5CJ?6DD]k^Am
kAm“*@F’5 =@@< @? E96 9:==D 2?5 E96C6 H@F=5 36 ?@E9:?8 E96C6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu2C>6CD :? E96 2C62 =@DE >@C6 E92? d_T @7 E96:C 4C@AD E92E J62C] p DE2E6 @7 6>6C86?4J H2D 564=2C65[ H9:49 2E @?6 A@:?E H2CC2?E65 H2E6C 5:G6CD:@?D 7C@> =2<6D 2?5 DEC62>D E@ 724:=:E2E6 :CC:82E:@?]k^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8mp=2C>D ?@E C:?8:?8—J6Ek^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAm#63@FE D2:5 DF49 :>286D 92G6 =2C86=J 366? 2G@:565 E9:D J62C E92?<D E@ 25G2?46D :? 4C@A 86?6E:4D 2?5 @E96C AC24E:46D E92E 96=A65 72C>6CD 36EE6C 92?5=6 E9:D J62C’D 5CJ DA6==] w6 6IA64ED E96 92CG6DE J:6=5D H:== :?5:42E6 2 8@@5 J62C 7@C 4C@A AC@5F4E:@?]k^Am
kAm“%96 72C>6CD 2C6 766=:?8 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 @AE:>:DE:4 3642FD6 E96J H6C6?’E D66:?8 E9@D6 3FC?E\FA 4C@AD =:<6 :? a_`a[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmtG6? E9@F89 a_a` 92D?’E :?7=:4E65 42E2DEC@A9:4 52>286 @? 4C@AD :? #@4< r@F?EJ[ E96 DF>>6C H2D E96 D6G6?E9 5C:6DE @? C64@C5 :? `af J62CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 }2E:@?2= ~462?:4 2?5 pE>@DA96C:4 p5>:?:DEC2E:@?’D 5C@F89E >@?:E@C]k^Am
kAm%@ 52E6[ E96 4@F?EJ :D CF??:?8 2? g]b\:?49 C2:? 567:4:E] q2<6C D2:5 C646?E C2:?72==D 2C6 36:?8 23D@C365 :?E@ E96 D@:= D66>:?8=J 2D 72DE 2D C2:?5C@AD 9:E E96 8C@F?5]k^Am
kAm“pD x E2=< E@ 72C>6CD[ E96J 8@[ ‘*629[ H6 8@E a :?496D @7 C2:? E96 @E96C 52J[ 2?5 x 5@?’E 92G6 2?J AF55=6D 2?JH96C6 @? >J 72C> D@2<:?8 :E FA]’ xE’D 3642FD6 H6’C6 E92E 5CJ[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(92E :D >2<:?8 a_a`’D 5C@F89E >@C6 362C23=6 92D 366? E96 H6EE6C\E92?\?@C>2= DAC:?8 @7 a_a_ 2?5 2 7@FC\J62C DA2? AC:@C E@ E92E @7 E96 H6EE6DE H62E96C :? E96 y2?6DG:==6 H2DE6H2E6C FE:=:EJ @77:46’D C64@C5D] p== E92E AC64:A:E2E:@? C6DF=E65 :? 2 C2:? DFCA=FD @7 cb]ab :?496D 244F>F=2E:?8 7C@> a_`e E@ a_`h]k^Am
kAmqFE >F49 @7 E92E 4FD9:@? 92D 6G2A@C2E65 :? a_a`[ 2?5 q2<6C D2:5 E96 C6DE @7 a_a` 2?5 62C=J a_aa ?665 E@ 36 H6E E@ 2G@:5 DE2CE:?8 ?6IE J62C’D A=2?E:?8 D62D@? 369:?5 E96 6:89E 32==]k^Am
kAm“x7 H6 5@?’E 86E 256BF2E6 C2:? E9:D 72== 2?5 E96 ?6IE DAC:?8[ H6’C6 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 ?6IE J62C H:E9 2 567:4:E] p?5 E92E’D H96? EC@F3=6 42? DEC:<6 BF:4<=J[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(96E96C E9:D 4@>6D E@ 7CF:E:@? C6>2:?D E@ 36 D66?[ E9@F89 #63@FE 2?5 q2<6C C6>2:? @AE:>:DE:4] pD 72C>6CD[ E96:C ;@3 :D?’E E@ 4@?DE2?E=J H@CCJ 23@FE H92E AC64:A:E2E:@? >:89E 4@>6 3FE C2E96C H2:E 2?5 D66 H92E ?2EFC6 5@=6D @FE]k^Am
kAm“xE’D D@ 92C5 E@ AC65:4E E96 7FEFC6 3642FD6 ?@ @?6 92D E92E 4CJDE2= 32==[ W3FEX :E’D 2=H2JD :? E96 324< @7 6G6CJ@?6’D >:?5[” q2<6C D2:5] “}@3@5J :D AF==:?8 E96 2=2C> J6E[ 3FE E96J 92G6 E96:C 92?5 @? :E]”k^Am
Get the latest news, sports, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
SIGN UP NOW
