2004/06/27 Drought Report for the Agricultural Region of Alberta

• Since the last drought report (June 13th, 2000) two areas of Exceptional Drought have emerged representing 0.2% of the province. The largest of these areas in centered in the county of Stettler and a smaller area can be found straddling the boarder between Special Areas 4 and 3.
• Since the last drought report the areas classified as Drought have increased by over 2% and now total nearly 10% of the reporting area. Areas in this category in northern Alberta, include a portion of the county of Westlock. As for central Alberta all or parts or all of the counties of Beaver, Ponoka, Camrose, Flagstaff, Lacombe, Stettler, Paintearth, Red Deer, Mountain View, Kneehill and Starland are in the Drought category witch also extents into east central Alberta including, each of the special areas (2, 3, and 4) and Acadia. In southern Alberta three isolated pockets in the Drought category can be found which affect small areas of the counties Pincher Creek, Willow Creek, Cardston Forty Mile and Cypress
• The areas in Drought Alert include most of the western half of the Peace region, much of southern, central and western Alberta. Currently nearly 55% of the reporting area is in the Drought Alert up about 9% from 46%, as reported in the June 13th, 2004 drought report.
• The areas classified as normal have decreased by about 11% and include just over 35% of the reporting area, down from 46% since report issued on June 13th, 2004. These areas include northeastern Alberta, the east half of the Peace region and in southern Alberta some isolated pockets are showing west of and surrounding Calgary and in the counties of Newel, Cypress, and Forty mile..
• In the Cypress Hills, erroneous precipitation amounts reported during the past several weeks were discovered and corrected. This area has been showing normal since May 30 rather than Extreme Drought conditions as was reported prior to May 30th.
• Recent trends (Figure 2):
• The area representing recent (90 day) trends toward Normal conditions decreased since the last report but still represent most of the mapped area. Since 55% of the province was in Drought Alert status, this represents a trend toward improvement in most of the affected areas.
• Trends towards Drought Alert were found in east central Alberta and include all of Flagstaff county and parts of the counties of Camrose Stettler Paintearth Sturgeon and Strathcona. Of these areas, if current conditions 90 day trends persist those in currently in Drought or Exceptional Drought status are expected to move into Drought Alert status and those currently in Drought Alert are expected to remain as such. In the Peace region, a few isolated areas continuing to remain Drought Alert are present in the M.D.'s of Fairview and Clear. Further more, conditions are deteriorating from normal in a small area centered on Manning.
• All other areas currently in Drought status are trending toward Normal and if the 90 day trend persists they will move out of risk.

• Above Normal precipitation over the last 90 days was confined to a few areas in southern Alberta including west of Calgary, in and around the city of Lethbridge and the Waterton park area and the east half of Cypress County. Near Normal precipitation was recorded in most of southern and western Alberta. Outside of this area, other isolated pockets of Near Normal precipitation occurred in and around Elk Island, LloydMinster, Grande Prairie and in the County of Athabasca. Precipitation was Below Normal all other areas of the province except for parts of the northern Peace Region that reported Much Below Normal and two small areas elsewhere centered around the towns of Fairview and High Prairie. Other areas reporting Much Below Normal occurred in central Alberta an include parts of the Counties of Flagstaff and Stettler and a small area in the North west corner of Lamont county (Figure 3).
• Since the last report (June 13th, 2004) dry weather has dominated over most of the province with warmer temperatures developing over the last week. Total precipitation amounts for the period over much of the province did not exceeding 40 mm. Most of the northern Peace region Isolated areas in the M.D.'s Clear Hills, Fairview, Big Lakes and Lesser Slave River received 10 mm of less with similar amounts also being recorded small pockets located in the M.D.'s of Peace and Big Lakes. Other areas of Alberta receiving 10 mm or less include a large area east of Edmonton extending from the Counties of Smoky Lake and St. Paul down to Special Area 4. In the southern Alberta parts of the Counties of Forty mile Warner and the Cypress also received 10 mm or less. Areas receiving between 10-20 mm include the all of the central and eastern half of the Peace region, along with much of northern and eastern Alberta including a large pocket in the County of Clearwater. Similar amounts were also recorded in south central Alberta between the City of Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. Most of the western half of Alberta and the south west Peace region received between 20-30 mm with some areas receiving slightly more (30-40 mm). Isolated areas receiving adequate precipitation occurred in the County of Cypress at Schuler (83 mm), the county of Wheatland at Hussar (54 mm) and the extreme southwest portion of the province in and around the Waterton park area (70-90 mm) (Figure 4).
• Historically June and July are the wettest months in Alberta. As of June 27, 2004, only the southern portions of the province and a small area in the south central Peace region have received at least Normal June precipitation totals. In contrast, the northern Peace and north and central Alberta received Much Below Normal precipitation with the remainder of the province receiving Below Normal precipitation. June has been particularly important in the south-central and southeastern portions of the province as in these areas drying trends typically begin to occur in July. In June total precipitation amounts typically range from 50 mm in the southeast to 120 mm in the Swan Hills (Figure 5). Historically July precipitation accumulations are similar to that experienced in June with the exception of the south where drier conditions typically begin to materialize at this time of year.

• Soil moisture levels were less than 50 mm of plant available water in most of the Peace, Central and South central Alberta regions (Figure 6). This is not enough moisture to carry annual crops through the next two weeks. Pasture conditions in these areas are expected to be even drier. Significant precipitation over the past few months has led to wet conditions (125-250 mm) in the northeast, west of Calgary and the eastern part of Cypress county. Too much moisture in these may result in crop losses in low-lying areas.
• Soil moisture levels are in Extreme Deficit for most the Peace region and a large area in central Alberta. Soil moisture levels are Well Below Normal in most of North west and North Central Alberta, south of Calgary in extending through the Counties of Foothills, Ranchland, parts of Pincher Creek, Willow Creek and Cardston. Also the county of Forty Mile and the east portion of Warner are classified as Well Below Normal. (Figure 7).