NRCS: Farmers, ranchers should brace for dry summer

A steady decline in rain and snow may put farmers and ranchers in a bad spot this year. That’s ccording to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.Last year at this time, many places in the state had snow pack between 150- and 200-percent of average, but this year, it's 39 percetn of average.

Lee Hackleman is a water supply specialist with the NRCS. He says that irrigators should take note and plan ahead.
 "I think if I were an irrigator I would be irrigating early this year, ‘cause there’s going to be water for a month or two and then there isn’t going to be any," Hackleman says. "So you might think ‘well, it’s too early to irrigate right now, crops don’t quite need it,’ well if you wait till they exactly need it, there might not be any."  Hackleman says Wyoming’s recent warm spring weather has been nice, but that it has had a detrimental effect on the states snow pack. He also says that more snow would be helpful, but if similar weather patterns continue into next year, the state will be back in a drought.