The North Coast times-eagle. (Wheeler, Oregon) 1971-2007, August 01, 1992, Image 2

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Newspaper Page TextOREGON'S DROUGHT IT'S DRY AND GETTING DRIER " T h i s m a n y c o n s e c u t i v e y e a r s b e lo w n o r m a l ( r a i n f a l l ) h a s n 't h a p p e n e d b e f o r e i n t h e f i f t y p l u s y e a r s t h a t r e c o r d s h a v e b e e n k e p t a t th e a ir p o r t," s ta te s R o b e rt R ow e, S u p e rv is o ry M e t e o r l o g i c a l T e c h n i c i a n a t th e N a t i o n a l W e a t h e r S e r v i c e F o r e c a s t O f f ic e in P o r t l a n d . " 1 9 8 4 w a s th e l a s t tim e w e w e r e n o r m a l o r a b o v e . 1985 w a s t h e d r i e s t y e a r on r e c o r d a n d 1 9 8 5 t o 1991 i n c l u s i v e , w e 'v e l o s t o v e r a y e a r ' s w o r t h o f r a in _ 4 6 .1 2 i n c h e s , " h e s t a t e s . R o w e p o i n t s o u t t h a t th e m o u n t a i n s n o w p a c k i s d i s a s t r o u s l y l o w . " C r a t e r L a k e a t th e e n d o f M a y s h o u l d h a v e h a d 61 i n c h e s o n th e g r o u n d , b u t t h i s y e a r a t th e e n d o f M ay t h e r e w a s n o s n o w ." H e a ls o s a y s th a t th e lo n g ra n g e f o r e c a s t f o r th e s u m m e r is "h o t a n d d r y ." F i r e , d r o u g h t a n d c a l a m i t y l o o m in th e n e a r f u t u r e , a n d it is a w o rld w id e p h e n o m e n o n . A s C a l i f o r n i a n s t a l k of s h i p p i n g C o l u m b i a R i v e r w a t e r s o u t h to a l l e v i a t e t h e i r d r o u g h t , C e n t r a l A m e r i c a n s e y e C a l i f o r n i a a s a r e f u g e to e s c a p e t h e i r d ro u g h t. P a r ts of B r a z il a r e v e ry d ry , i n c l u d i n g th e a r e a w h e r e th e " E a r t h S u m m i t " w a s h e l d in J u n e . In U r u g u a y a n d A r g e n t i n a th e d r o u g h t l a s t y e a r w a s s o b a d t h a t 8 0 0 ,0 0 0 c a t t l e d ie d a n d th e c o r n h a r v e s t w a s d o w n b y a h a lf. In A f r i c a t h e w h o le s o u t h e r n c o n e i s d e s i c c a t e d . In Z i m b a b w e , th e p r o v i n c i a l c a p i t a l o f B u l a w a y o h a s h a d n o r m a l r a i n f a l l in j u s t tw o o f th e p a s t th ir te e n y e a r s . R e s id e n ts a r e a lr e a d y c o l l e c t i n g m o n e y f o r a n e w p i p e l i n e t o th e Z a m b e s i R i v e r , 2 5 0 m i l e s t o th e n o r t h , f o r w a t e r . E t h i o p i a a n d th e H o r n o f A f r i c a h a v e d r o u g h t n o w w h ic h s e e m s p e r m a n e n t . T h e lo n g d r o u g h t in th e M id d le E a s t w a s e a s e d s l i g h t l y t h i s w in te r b y s o m e t h i n g w h ic h i s b e c o m i n g a f a m i l i a r t e r m , t h e " a n o m a l o u s w e a t h e r p a t t e r n . " T h e M id d le E a s t had huge s n o w s to rm s la s t w in te r. Rice t t e G A 1 L 1L 108 TENTH ASTORIA. OREGON 97103 * R Y 1E 1 S TR E E T TEL 503/325-5450 A S A L U .ÎB # Io Gth Astori cl * * To T H E é o ‘ s X T 'X ( I ) v Ztx AU.O Iff A R f WALX. I -i Mt » ••rry fo o d B Y W IL L IA M K Ô T T K E " W e a th e r w is e ," a tr a d e m a g a z in e of m e t e o r o l o g i s t s , s a y s , " In J a n u a r y (1 9 9 1), th e a n o m a l o u s w a r m t h s t r e t c h e d f r o m E n g l a n d i n t o th e E u r o p e a n U S S R . T h e n e x t m o n th a b o v e - n o r m a l t e m p e r a t u r e s s t r e t c h e d a l l th e w a y f r o m E n g l a n d a c r o s s n o r t h e r n A s i a to w e s t e r n S i b e r i a a n d s o u t h e a s t w a r d to n o r t h e a s t C h in a a n d J a p a n . F o r M o s c o w a n d K ie v , b o th J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y w e r e th e w a r m e s t in o v e r a c e n t u r y o f r e c o r d ." T he " r e c o r d b r e a k e r s " a r e a ls o b e c o m i n g a c o m m o n w o r d in w e a t h e r p e o p l e 's v o c a b u la ry . O re g o n h a s ju s t r e c o r d e d it d r ie s t M a y on r e c o r d . T h e l a t e M a y t e m p e r a t u r e s a r e a l s o th e h o t t e s t O r e g o n h a s e v e r r e c o r d e d . M e d f o r d h a d th e w a r m e s t f i r s t f i v e m o n t h s o f t h e y e a r o n r e c o r d — 1 2 .7 d e g r e e s a b o v e n o r m a l . W h ile O r e g o n h a s n 't h a d g o o d r a i n in y e a r s , th e d r o u g h t in E a s t e r n A u s t r a l i a w a s b r o k e n by t o r r e n t i a l r a i n s l a s t y e a r in J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y . B u t u n f o r tu n a te ly th e " a n o m a lo u s " m o is tu r e d i d n 't l a s t a n d th e a r e a w a s d r y by th e e n d o f th e y e a r , w i t h e r i n g w h e a t c r o p s a n d g r a s s l a n d s . In 1991 th e o n ly a r e a s in t h e w o r l d w ith g o o d c r o p s w e re C a n a d a , W e st an d E a s t A fric a ( i n c l u d i n g th e S a h e l ) . S in c e i t s b e g i n n i n g s , th e p e c u l i a r h u m a n f o r m c a l l e d c i v i l i z a t i o n h a s h a d p r o b l e m s w ith w a t e r . In th e S u m e r i a n / B a b y l o n i a n e r a s t h e c a p i t a l c i t y h a d t o b e m o v e d u p th e T i g r i s - E u p h r a t e s v a l l e y s e v e r a l t i m e s . O n e o f th e r e a s o n s w a s s a l i n i z a t i o n o f t h e s o i l c a u s e d b y i r r i g a t i o n , a n d th e o t h e r w a s th e h u g e s i l t l o a d in th e r i v e r s w h ic h c l o g g e d th e i r r i g a t i o n w o r k s . T h e s i l t c a m e f r o m th e m o u n t a i n s t h a t w e r e e r o d i n g b e c a u s e o f o v e r g r a z i n g w ith s h e e p a n d g o a t s . T o p s o i l i s o n e o f th e l a r g e s t r e s e r v o i r s o f f r e s h w a te r on th e p la n e t. On f o r e s t o r g r a s s l a n d , r a i n f a l l s o a k s in to b e c o m e l o n g - l a s t i n g s o il m o is tu r e an d s o m e w a te r c o n tin u e s d o w n w a r d to c h a r g e u n d e r g r o u n d a q u i f i e r s . T h e a q u i f i e r s h o ld w a t e r f o r d e e p v e g e t a t i o n r o o t s a n d f e e d s p r i n g s w h ic h in t u r n w a t e r m e a d o w s an d s tr e a m s f u r th e r d o w n . T h o u g h we la c k p r e c i s e s t a t i s t i c s on q u a n t i t i e s o f w a t e r u n d e r g r o u n d , w e k n o w t h a t w h e n w a t e r i s d e p l e t e d in th e s w i s s c h e e s e - li k e u n d e r g r o u n d p a s s a g e s , w e lls g o d r y , s p r i n g s g o d r y a n d r i v e r f lo w s l e s s e n . E a s t e r n O r e g o n , p r i o r to c a t t l e r a n c h i n g , w a s a b u n c h g r a s s e c o s y s te m . O nce th e s o d w a s e l i m i n a t e d ( p r i o r to 1 9 0 0 ), t h e s o i l b e g a n to g o d o w n th e r i v e r s . W h e n t o p s o i l c a n n o t a b s o r b a n d h o l d t h e w a t e r , i t r u n s o f f in t o r r e n t s , c r e a t i n g w id e , d r y d a m a g e d r i v e r b e d s f u ll o f r o c k s . T h is i s h o w f o r m e r r a i n f o r e s t s s u c h a s in s o u t h e r n O a x a c a , M e x ic o , c a n b e c o m e d e s e r t s . It is d r y , t h e n th e r a i n s c o m e a n d r u n o f f, t h e n i t ' s d r y a g a i n . T h i s h a s b e e n th e s t o r y o f c i v i l i z e d p e o p le a n d t h e i r g r a z in g a n im a ls f o r e ig h t th o u sand y e a rs . T h e c i v i l i z e d p r o p e n s i t y to t e a r d o w n f o r e s t s h a s a s i m i l a r r e g i o n a l e f f e c t b e c a u s e a f t e r th e f o r e s t i s g o n e , th e t o p s o i l l e a v e s s o o n a f t e r t h r o u g h p lo w in g o r g r a z i n g . In a d d i t i o n to h o l d i n g th e s o i l , f o r e s t s p e r f o r m a n o th e y k e y ta s k : e v a p o - t r a n s p i r a t i o n . V e ry s i m p l y , t r e e s o f th e f o r e s t r e s p i r e w a t e r f r o m u n d e r g r o u n d . S t u d i e s in th e A m a z o n B a s i n h a v e sh o w n th a t w a te r e v a p o ra tin g u p w a rd is c r i t i c a l t o f u r t h e r r a i n f a l l . T h e o ld s t o r y w e g o t in s c h o o l a b o u t w a t e r e v a p o r a t i n g o ff th e o c e a n s a n d f a llin g on la n d is to o s i m p l i s t i c . W a te r d o e s c o m e o ff th e o c e a n s , b u t th e w e a th e r f r o n ts a r e c o n t i n u a l l y r e c h a r g e d b y w a t e r e v a p o r a t i o n o ff th e e a r t h . T e a rin g dow n f o r e s ts an d e ro d in g of to p s o il c a n w r e c k th e c l i m a t e o f w h o le r e g i o n s , a n d th e e a r t h h a s o n l y 24% o f i t s p r i m a r y f o r e s t s s t i l l s t a n d i n g . D e s e r t s a r e s p r e a d i n g r a p i d l y , w h ic h f u r th e r c u ts n e t e v a p o - tr a n s p ir a tio n . A nd th is in c lu d e s E a s te r n O re g o n . T h e e a r t h i s a c r e a t u r e o f c y c l e s — in i t s s e a s o n s , in i t s w e a t h e r . W h e n th e e f f e c t s o f c i v i l i z a t i o n u p o n th e e a r t h r e a c h s u c h p r o p o r t i o n t h a t t h e s e c y c l e s b e g i n to b e a f f e c t e d , w e c a n t h e n e x p e c t t h e m to f l u c t u a t e w i l d l y . M a s s i v e d e f o r e s t a t i o n , m a s s i v e d e s e r t i f i c a t i o n , th e h e a t is la n d s o f c i t i e s , s m o g , th e d e f o l i a t i o n o f t h e r a i n f o r e s t s o f V i e t n a m , t h e u n p r e c e d e n t e d b u r n i n g o f o i l in I r a q a n d K u w a it , th e c h a n g i n g o f w h o le r i v e r s y s t e m s b y h u m a n e n g i n e e r i n g , th e d a m m i n g o f r i v e r s to c r e a t e l a k e s f r o m w h ic h 50% o f t h e w a t e r e v a p o r a t e s , t h e d e s t r u c t i o n o f th e w o r l d 's t r o p i c a l f o r e s t s , th e g r e e n h o u s e e f f e c t , t h e o z o n e l a y e r th in n in g — th e s e a n d m a n y o th e r a c t i v i t i e s o f c i v i l i z e d h u m a n s a r e u n b a l a n c i n g th e c y c l e s of n a tu re . W h e n w h i t e s e t t l e r s a p p e a r e d in O r e g o n , t h e y g r a b b e d th e b e s t f i r s t . T h e y s e t up f is h w h e e ls a n d c a n n e r i e s on th e r i v e r s a n d b e g a n to h a u l a w a y th e p r o te i n . B y th e 1 8 7 0 s h u g e c a tt le h e r d s w e r e d e n u d in g E a s t e r n O r e g o n . B y th e 1 8 3 0 s th e C o lu m b ia B a s in w a s b e in g p lo w e d f o r w h e a t, a n d th e h o r r e n d o u s e r o s i o n of th o s e h i ll s w a s b e g i n n i n g . A ll d u r i n g t h i s t i m e , th e W i l l a m e t t e V a l l e y w a s b e in g d e n u d e d o f f o r e s t s b y n e a r - i n d e n t u r e d C h i n e s e c o n t r a c t l a b o r e r s , a n d th e v a s t w e t l a n d s o f th e l o w e r v a l l e y w e r e b e in g d r a in e d a n d p lo w e d . T h e w a t e r - n a t u r e of o u r la n d w a s b e in g c h a n g e d in e x o r a b ly , th e h y d r o - lo g ic a l c y c le s w e re g e ttin g k n o c k e d o u t o f b a l ance . A s th e s e t t l e r s s p r e a d o u t , t h e y d e c i m a t e d t h e b e a v e r s . B e a v e r d a m s s p a n n e d th e r i v e r s u p i n t o th e h ig h m o u n t a i n s . S u c h d a m s s lo w w a t e r & gSfeT H E COMPLEAT PHOTOGRAPHER Film Processing In A Hurry If Necessary ... ... Quality, Always! • Film • Batteries • Supplies • H lstrolcai photos of the beautiful North Oregon Coast. YOUR COMPLEAT CAMERA STORE SEASIDE k303 S. Holladay 7 3 8 -3 6 8 6 ASTORIA 475 14th Street, 325-0759,