The extent of drought conditions in Texas and surrounding states

Hello everyone! I wanted to share some photos that I found on the Beef Magazine website this week. We all hear on the news of the extreme drought occurring in Texas but it's hard to fathom the extent of the devastation. Being from Southwest Kansas, we are most generally dry or very dry. It's a rarity when we receive rain. In fact, we get excited over a sprinkle! Farmers in our area had to divert water this year on their crops. This means that if they had a well that was running irrigation (sprinklers) on three circles of corn, they had to divert the water over to only 25-50% of the crop. This way they could ensure that a portion of the crop would produce a successful product in spite of the drought.
When I came across these pictures (at the conclusion of this post!) it was an eye-opener. It made our conditions seem mild compared to what the people in south Texes around Wichita Falls and Boling are experiencing.  Last night, I attended the Mississippi State University Collegiate Cattleman's meeting. Mrs. LeAnne Peters, Director of Communications from the Mississippi Cattleman's Association, was there to speak to us about the Check Off program and  fill us in on what they are currently working on in the cattle industry across the state and nationally.  She said that her office had talked to cattle producers in Texas that had been buying water to haul to their cattle for the past 3 weeks. They have also talked to farmers and ranchers from Mississippi that want to donate hay to the Texas ranchers and need to know how to get in contact with them. That is why I lover our industry. People are always willing to lend a hand to others in need from across the states. Please remember to keep the farmers and ranchers in these areas in your thoughts and prayers.
If you have ways you would like to help, contact the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Click here to visit their website. You can find links for the hay hotline as well as drought and wildfire resources.
When I came across these pictures it was an eye-opener. It made our conditions seem mild compared to what the people in south Texes around Wichita Falls and Boling are experiencing.

This crack in the soil is nearly 27 inches deep.

And measures nearly 10 inches wide.

Cracks along a fence line. You can see here how dry it is, the pasture is almost bare dirt. 

This photo is of a farmer near Wichita Falls who had to put up a solar panel in order to pump water for his cows. 

Here is the a map of the drought conditions across the US and is current as of September 1, 2011. You can click on the map to go to a larger picture that will be easier to read!