Saturday, October 18, 2008

Water worries take deeper root in Southern US

Winston-Salem Journal, via Associated Press: The drought that has plagued the Deep South for more than a year is creeping north. Officials in several states are restricting outdoor burning in the face of water shortages and forest-fire risks from falling leaves and tinder-dry conditions.

Extreme drought conditions, the second-worst possible, have now spread into Kentucky, and severe conditions have returned to West Virginia and southwestern Virginia, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. "The last three months have sucked every bit of moisture we've had," said Ben Webster, a fire staff assistant for the West Virginia Division of Forestry.

…Elsewhere in the South, a lack of water also remains the main concern. Tennessee and South Carolina worry that Atlanta may look at the nearby Tennessee or Savannah rivers for relief. Meanwhile, Georgia, Alabama and Florida have fought over how much water can be stored in north Georgia lakes….

Aerial view of Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in Kentucky, USA. US Army Corps of Engineers

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