Central Texas' dire drought persists

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) - The National Drought Mitigation Center , U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Lower Colorado River Authority sponsored a drought workshop Thursday. Many area farmers, ranchers and water management officials from Central Texas attended the free event.

Presentations assessed local drought conditions and offered tools and techniques for area farmers and ranchers to deal with the drought's effects. One presentation also encouraged everyone to develop a drought plan.

Drought conditions now affect 97.4 percent of Texas according to the U.S. Drought Monitor issued Thursday. Central Texas is not only the hardest-hit region in Texas but in the nation as well. The Seasonal Drought Outlook from the Climate Prediction Center paints a bleak picture with drought conditions persisting through April.

"If you're a producer or a farmer or a rancher right now without irrigation, you're basically in a world of hurt," said Victor Murphy with the National Weather Service .

Not all agricultural businesses are suffering though. Texas' wineries could see better wine this year compared to years with abundant rain.

"With the shortage of rainfall we're having the last couple of years, it's actually probably going to increase the quality of our vines, increasing the quality of the wine in this vintage," said Flat Creek Estate winemaker Charlie Kidd. "We've had the benefit of only having to deliver only the amount of water we want to deliver to the vines these last couple of years. There's no extra water from the rain."

Kidd uses drip irrigation in the vineyards using water from the estate's wells. Drip irrigation provides just the right amount of water to the vines without using too much. Kidd can only irrigate a portion of the vineyard's 20 acres each night since the well is low. Without substantial rains replenishing the aquifer, there is a risk of the wells going dry.

Murphy says we will have to see decent rainfall amounts this spring in order to put a dent in our rain deficit.

"May and June are two of the three wettest months of the year around here," said Murphy. "Those are going to be very critical to see more normal rainfall."