Welcome rain delays harvest, fireworks

Tuesday, July 6, 2004

Rains delayed Fourth of July fireworks and the wheat harvest, but Southwest Nebraskans are reluctant to complain about moisture of any kind.

"Well, we'll take the rain," but wheat farmers would like to harvest their crop, said Jan Mahon of Frenchman Valley Co-op in McCook.

Little wheat has been cut since Saturday, and harvest has "just really been sporadic" because of the precipitation.

The harvest started early this year, about a week and a half earlier than the normal July 1 start date, but rainfall has delayed it enough that it is only about 75 percent done today.

The harvest has been "kind of a disappointment," she said, with wheat running a light 57 pounds and showing higher protein because of stress.

"It's been a crazy year," she said of the harvest.

Residents are hoping against hope that the drought may be showing signs of breaking, with McCook actually being .51 inch of precipitation ahead of normal for the year, the first time in several years.

Officially, the McCook Municipal Airport has received 12.31 inches of precipitation since Jan. 1, compared to a normal 11.80 inches.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation office in McCook, Swanson Reservoir received a total of .94 inch of moisture, including .05 on Saturday, .86 on Monday and .03 this morning; Hugh Butler Lake a total of 1.78, including .41 on Sunday, 1.36 on Monday and .01 today; Harry Strunk Lake a total of 1.62, including .17 on Saturday, .18 on Sunday, 1.21 on Monday and .06 by this morning; Culbertson a total of 1.29, including .28 on Sunday, .66 on Monday and .35 overnight; and the bureau office received a total of 1.38, including .18 on Sunday, .79 on Monday and .41 overnight.

The McCook city police log showed a number of fireworks complaints, but the timing and amount of rainfall limited the number of fireworks-related fire calls or other trouble.

"It was a pretty quiet weekend," Red Willow County Sheriff Gene Mahon reported. "The rain was nice," he added. About the only incidents to report were vehicles which slid off rain-slickened dirt roads, Mahon said.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: