Dry area counties may see drought relief

Emergency assistance may be made available for at least four Central Virginia localities due to recent drought.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for disaster-area designations for Bedford, Campbell, Amherst and Nelson counties so farmers can participate in federal assistance programs.

The counties were part of 11 overall included in Kaine’s Sept. 22 letter to the USDA. It cited “agricultural losses experienced in these localities due to drought and excessive heat” as the reason for seeking the declaration.

Gordon Hickey, Kaine’s press secretary, said the Farm Service Agency still has to do research in the counties to see if they qualify for any declarations.

The process, contingent on agency findings based on crop loss, is weeks away from being finalized, said Hickey on Monday.

The Lynchburg area has received about 22 inches of rain so far this year, which is about 12 inches below normal.

Lack of rain from a year ago had farmers “starting out behind the 8-ball” coming into this year, said William Seay, Amherst County’s extension agent.

Though Seay said recent rain from remnants of hurricanes and tropical storms have helped the region, moisture is still needed to help restore the county’s streams and groundwater reserves.

“That’s what I think hurt us so bad during this summer,” he said.

Drought also caused Smith Mountain Lake to drop about four feet below full-pond level of 795 feet, leading to reductions in downstream outflows from Appalachian Power Company’s hydroelectric dam at the lake.

The Bedford County Public Service Authority also developed a full-time water filling station in recent weeks to help residents hurt by drought. It allows the water purchase of up to 10,000 gallons through an automated system requiring an account.

Brian Key, service authority director, said the station would operate 24 hours per day when dry conditions demand for it.