Published: January 21, 2009 11:00 pm      

Wanted: Moisture in area

If rain or snow doesn’t arrive soon in Woodward County and the surrounding area, wheat, livestock, grasslands and farmers will suffer, according to local and state officials.

The dry weather has already affected Woodward County, which experienced about nine grass fires last week.

According to Woodward County Emergency Management Director Matt Lehenbauer, Woodward has received only .89 of rain within the last three months.

Without rain, grass fires won’t be the only danger being faced, however.

Economically, if it doesn’t rain soon, farmers will look at possible “disaster,” according to a spokesman with the Oklahoma Wheat Commission.

Jack Carson, spokesman for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, said “It’s extremely critical” that the area receive some rain.

“The drought has the potential to be more damaging than the 2005-06 drought,” because the cost of fuel has been much higher, as well as the price of seed and fertilizer.

“It’s very dangerous economically,” Carson said. “Some of the producers have irrigation” but when adding the higher input costs, it “doesn’t help much.”

“I’m going to guess in Woodward, not many cattle are feeding on wheat right now,” he said.

Tom Glazier of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, District 3, called the situation “critical.”

“This is the time of year when wheat doesn’t need a lot of water, but it will within the next two or three weeks,” Glazier said. “As it gets warmer, the wheat’s going to do a lot of tilling.”

Tilling is a growing stage of wheat that needs moisture.

“It’ll be a disaster, really, if it doesn’t rain soon,” he said.

While the dryness is having a negative affect on farmers, Johnny Owens, county executive director of the Farm Service Agency in Buffalo, doesn’t predict much change in the weather soon.

“From everything I’ve read -- at least for the next two or three weeks, they think it will be below normal for moisture.”

As far as cattle are concerned, it will affect their health, he said. Grasses won’t be affected -- other than fires -- until spring.

The dry weather is not only hurting Woodward County but the entire state.

Said Carson, “Most of the state hasn’t even had any snow.”