LAKE COUNTY — While some areas in Lake County were under water after three back-to-back storm systems passed through, county officials are saying it is too early to tell how the rain will affect this year”s crops.
“Right now, as we speak, we”re at a normal amount of rain,” county agricultural commissioner Steve Hajik said Monday. Hajik based his information on what growers were telling him this week. “We were in a slight drought. But with this rain that came, now we”re at the normal level.”
Lake County Air Quality Management District recorded a monthly average of 2.93 inches of rain in November 2006. A meager 0.45 inches was recorded in November 2007. The December 2007 level was more than three inches higher than December 2006. Overall, the total rainfall recorded in 2007 was just more than half of the total rainfall for 2006. This year”s January average so far is 4.07, nearly four inches higher than January last year.
“Every little bit helps,” Lake County Farm Bureau executive director Chuck March said. “There was extreme concern about the amount of precipitation; we definitely need the moisture.”
More rain is on the way, according to the National Weather Service. A 3:41 p.m. forecast for the Lakeport area predicts a 90 percent chance of rain today and a 60 percent chance Wednesday night.
With most of Lake County”s crops dormant for the winter months until the spring growing season begins, experts are saying it”s too early to tell whether or not the recent rain will help.
“If it stops raining right now, we could be in another drought situation later,” Hajik said. “It”s bad if we get too much or too little, but as long as there are normal rainfall amounts through March, that”s the best possible scenario.”
Assistant director of county public works Bob Lossius agreed with Hajik that it”s too early to tell how Lake County”s water table will be affected. He said recent rain is recharging the ground water supply.
“If it stays that way we”ll be OK,” Lossius said. “What happened last year is that it stopped.”
“The Creeks are running, the ground water is getting recharged, and there”s very little agricultural use right now, if any,” Lossius continued. “Things are OK now, but if the lake does not fill up, or the farmers use (the ground water) for frost control or to water crops and there”s no rain we could be back in a situation like last year. It”s way too early to say we”re out of it, but we”re doing OK.”
Clear Lake”s lake level as of 4 p.m. Monday was at 2.34 on the Rumsey scale. On Jan. 7, 2007, the lake level was recorded at 3.51.
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