Western Arkansas under extreme drought
The amount of rainfall for Fort Smith in September has been reported as zero by the National Weather Service.
There has been a big zero for October in the rain department too so far.
Western Arkansas has now been moved into the extreme drought category after being in severe drought the last several months, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
While a number of football fields in the area do have artificial turf, there are schools having to deal with maintaining their fields with no rain and the high daytime temperatures.
"We still got to get the field ready and just trying to water it as much as we can and keeping it mowed down low," said Pocola, Oklahoma Coach Jason Parker. "I think this next week will be better since the temperatures are supposed to be lower, get some water on it and maybe it'll come back a little green."
What the drought means for the area, livestock
If the drought of 2022 happened in 1800s, people might have been able to walk across the Arkansas River.
There is plenty of water in the river for barges despite the drought this year.
More than 100 years ago, there was not a lock and dam system barges and tug boats navigate.
Marty Shell is the owner of Five Rivers Distribution in Barling, an intermodal port where barges, trucks and trains unload. The U.S. Corps of Engineers keep channels 9 feet deep at all times by dredging if the rains stop.
The U.S. Drought Monitor has listed western Arkansas, including Sebastian and Crawford counties and bordering areas of eastern Oklahoma as being in extreme drought. Parts of eastern Oklahoma are in exceptional drought.
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There is water in the river because of those locks and dams. Shell works near the James W. Trimble Lock and Dam 13 in Barling.
"Without those locks and dams we could walk across the river. The Corps of Engineers is doing a great job," Shell said.
There are low places in the river. Area lakes are also below normal level.
The locks and dams in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma is part of the McClelland-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System from Tulsa to the Mississippi in southeast Arkansas.
The drought has not been as bad in eastern parts of the state, but areas near the Mississippi are in abnormally dry or moderate drought conditions, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports.
Cattle ranchers have also been affected this year by the drought.
The drought started in late June, drying up much-needed grasses for livestock, area ranchers said. Cattle have been sold early at the Fort Smith Stockyards in Moffett. The rising cost of hay and fuel since the drought started during the summer.
Ranchers sold off herds as prices of hay went up.
The long winter months could make matters worsen for area ranchers should the lack of rainfall continue. Weather reports show no forecast for rain.
In Greenwood, city officials have asked residents to conserve water and only water outdoors with a hose on odd or even days matching their addresses.
Burn ban, weather forecast
A burn ban for all outdoor burning remains in effect in Sebastian County.
The National Weather Service forecast through Oct. 9 shows sunny skies with mostly highs in the 80s.
Leaves on trees will turn from green to yellow and fall earlier during drought.
Last year, Fort Smith had 50.60 inches of rain. The year 2022 was on track to have about the same amount before June.
There has been no rain in September or October, the National Weather Service reports. Fort Smith had 2.02 inches of rain in August, and just 2.06 inches in July.
The drought did not start until June, as the National Weather Service data shows.
June was a wet month in Fort Smith with 11.02 inches.
So far for 2022, Fort Smith has had 40.28 inches of rain, the National Weather Service reported Monday, Oct. 3.
George "Clay" Mitchell / Fort Smith Southwest Times Record contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Western Arkansas falls into extreme drought category
