Bill Tibbetts
Associate Broker 
February 9, 2007
Water (and the lack thereof)
Your Minnesota Climatology Office has issued this note concerning the issues of a continuing drought situation in the Lake Vermilion area:
“Northern Minnesota will face many lingering drought issues in 2007. In order to recover rapidly from the 2006 precipitation deficits, spring and summer rainfall totals will need to greatly exceed historical normals. This is possible, but not climatologically likely. The drought was quick to develop, but most likely its impacts will be slow to repair. In keeping with the dry pattern established in 2006, snowfall totals during winter of 2006-2007 have thus far been well short of average. Some drought concerns for the 2007 growing season include:
– antecedent dry conditions, along with a continuation of sparse winter snow cover, could lead to a significant increase in spring wildfire risk
– streams dropping below protected flow thresholds after the spring melt runoff
– low lake water levels and associated water access issues
– ground water levels lowering in lagged response to precipitation deficits. Ground water levels will also respond to increased pumping pressures
– inadequate soil moisture conditions further impacting agriculture, especially forage crops
– inadequate soil moisture conditions further stressing forest communities, making them more vulnerable to pests”
See the details here.
