r e i r u o C s a m a C the
13 0 2 , 9 January
couriernews.webs.com
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37 Volume 2 Number News from the Heart of Idaho: Camas, Lincoln, and Gooding County
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Water Supply & Snowpack A Promising Start Boise, ID, January 7, 2013 – The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conducted this season’s first snow survey at the end of December for the January water supply report which is now out. The report shows many of the state’s basins are starting the year with good soil moisture and snowpack conditions. The water year began on October 1. November rainfall helped soil moisture recover from the dry summer. Precipitation since October ranges from 100 to 150% of normal. The mountain snowpacks vary from 80% to 160% of normal using the new 30-year reference period to calculate the normal. “In 2013 we switched to a new period for calculating normal snowpacks,” said Ron Abramovich, Idaho NRCS Water Supply Specialist. “The new normals use the period from 1981 to 2010, which allows comparison to the most recent climatic norms.” So far this year elevation is playing a critical role in where the snow falls and accumulates - the higher the mountains the better the snowpack. The snowpacks in the Lost River Range and the Pioneer Mountains have the highest snowpack percentages. The lowest snowpacks are in Idaho’s lower elevation watersheds, like the Weiser and Owyhee Basins. According to the report, many Idaho reservoirs are near average with the exception of some in central and southern Idaho. continued on page 2.....
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Grow Your Own... Food! Driving through Gooding, just north of North Valley Academy and behind the USDA building, there used to be a empty lot. Then two years ago, an employee of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Eric Moore had an idea to turn that unused space into a community garden. With the help of the city, local businesses, the Boy Scouts, the University of Idaho, local farmers, and just ordinary people, the Community Garden has become a great success. The garden has provided food to homebound seniors, local soup kitchens, and food pantries. In addition, over a dozen families have enjoyed free garden plots to feed their families. Gardening is a great skill that everyone should have, especially in hard economic times. Sometimes, however, one needs to do a little more than just push seeds in the ground, and hope they grow. What grows best in sandy soil? How much water is too much? How do you protect your plants from bugs and other creatures that like your vegetables as much as you do? To help with all of these questions and more, the University of Idaho is offering
a Master Gardener class starting February 5 and running through May 4. The classes will be held at the Gooding Extension office and the deadline to sign up is January 23rd. The cost is $125 per person or $175 per couple. If that seems like a lot, it might make the difference between a bountiful harvest this fall, or a lot of wasted time and energy. For more information, contact your local Extension Office. Space for this class is limited, so sign up soon.
The Prairie Quilters’ First Ever Quilt Show This Saturday, January 12 at the Camas County Senior & Community Center