Drought Texas alone had nearly a quarter of a million farms in 2012, the most out of any state, while neighboring Oklahoma had more than 80,000 farms, trailing only three other states. In the Southwest, concerns are less-focused on agriculture and more on reservoir levels, explains Rippey. In Arizona, reservoir levels were just twothirds of their usual average. Worse still, in New Mexico, reservoir stores were only slightly more than half of their normal levels. “And Nevada is the worst of all. We see storage there at about a
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third of what you would expect,” Rippey said. The situation in California may well be the most problematic of any state. The entire state is suffering from severe drought, and 75% of all land area is under extreme drought. “Reservoirs which are generally fed by the Sierra Nevadas and the southern Cascades (are) where we see the real problems,” Rippey said. Restrictions on agricultural water use has forced many California farmers to leave fields fallow. “At (the current) usage rate, California has less than two years of water remaining,” he warns.
Severity
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•Pct. exceptional drought: 8.2% (4th highest) According to the Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD), the main cause of the drought this year has been below average snowfall in the Rocky Mountains. Melting snow from the Rocky Mountains eventually flows into Lake Mead, which provides most of the Las Vegas Valley with water. John Entsminger, head of both the LVVWD and the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said that the effects of the drought on the state has been “every bit as serious as a Hurricane Katrina or a Superstorm Sandy.”
EHM Symptoms usually start with a fever. The illness may progress and show signs of weakness and a lack of coordination. Urine dribbling and lethargy may also signal the disease, and sometimes the illness progresses to a horse going down, Davis said. In the worst cases where the animal can’t rise, also called recumbency, they can die or are so ill that they will be euthanized. She provided tips and facts for horse owners. EHM is easily spread by direct horse-to-horse contact. It can also be spread by contact with contaminated objects such as tack, grooming equipment, feed and water buckets, and people’s hands and clothing. Contact your veterinarian if your horse’s temper-
The Scott County Record • Page 34 • Thursday, May 29, 2014
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ature is 101.5 degrees or higher. A normal, healthy temperature for a horse is 100 degrees. Currently, there are vaccines available to boost a horse’s immunity. They’re labeled to fight respiratory disease and abortion, but they’re not labeled for the prevention of EHM. Some horses recover from EHM but not without treatment. In some cases, even treated horses can die. People cannot get sick from EHV-1, which causes EHM so there is no threat to humans. It is most commonly an equine disease, although it can occur in camelids, such as llamas and alpacas. Davis said she is not recommending that horse owners stay home from competitions.
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3) New Mexico •Pct. severe drought: 86.2% •Pct. extreme drought: 33.3% (6th highest) •Pct. exceptional drought: 4.5% (5th highest) More than 86% of New Mexico was covered in severe drought as of last week, more than any state except for Nevada and California. However, conditions were better than they were one year ago, when virtually the entire state was in at least severe drought, with more than 80% in extreme drought conditions. 4) Kansas •Pct. severe drought: 80.8% •Pct. extreme drought: 48.1% (3rd highest) •Pct. exceptional drought: 2.8% (6th highest) Like several states running out of water, 80% of Kansas was engulfed in at least severe drought, an increase from one year ago when roughly 70% was covered by severe drought. Compared to last May, however, when exceptional drought covered nearly one fifth of the state, just 2.8% of Kansas was considered exceptionally dry last week.
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