All of us will feel effects from drought

By Iowa City Press-Citizen

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We are quickly coming to the end of a summer that has produced the worst drought the U.S. has seen since 1956. In Iowa, July was the hottest on record since 1936. Even with this past week's rain and cooler temperatures, Johnson County is among the 70 percent of the state that is considered to be in “extreme drought.”

Much has been written about, and rightly so, about the plight of farmers during this scorching summer. The USDA this week said Iowa's corn yield will drop this year to 141 bushels per acre, the lowest state average since the 138 bushel per acre yield in 1997.

However, we must remember that farmers are not the only ones who are being hurt by this historic drought.

The government last week said that high grain prices would cause a rise in food prices by as much as 5 percent. Already world food prices soared 6 percent in July, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

With the economy still limping along, this will just add to the pain many families are feeling.

As the Press-Citizen has reported, the state's wildlife is struggling to get by. Dozens of dead fish have turned up in recent weeks at Swan Lake just south of the Hawkeye Wildlife Area near North Liberty because of low water levels and high temperatures in the water that remains. The dwindling water supplies also have forced some creatures to search a little harder for food and water.

There's nothing we can do about the weather, but there are things we can do to minimize the damage.

Johnson County remains under a burn ban. The adage “Only you can prevent forest fires” holds true in these dry times. Use your common sense or contact your local fire department if you have questions.

Earlier this summer, Coralville asked residents to voluntarily ease up their water usage in an effort to reduce demand. The city has not had to implement mandatory water restrictions. While well levels have dropped, Iowa City staff this week said its water system is operating comfortably within its treatment capacity.

Even without voluntary or mandatory restrictions, residents should be mindful of their water usage, especially as thousands of returning University of Iowa students soon will cause an increase in demand.

For those looking for a silver lining in this summer's drought, you could enjoy the fact that mosquitoes are less of a nuisance this year because there is less standing water to serve as breeding grounds.

However, we'd welcome a few more mosquitoes if it meant the end of this drought.

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