The latest U.S. Drought Monitor update shows conditions worsened for the Atlantic area. 

Conditions have been revised from Moderate Drought (D1) to Severe Drought (D2), according to this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor.

Atlantic has been in drought since August 29, 2023.

The map shows the northern part of Cass County, along with most of Audubon, Shelby and Guthrie counties are are some of the driest in the region.

The Climate Prediction Center’s September Drought Outlook, released on August 31, 2023, predicted that drought conditions would likely develop in September

AMES, Iowa – As harvest season quickly approaches, Iowans are reminded to practice safety around grain bins and grain handling equipment.

There were nine reported grain entrapments in Iowa in 2022, more than any other state, according to an annual report by Purdue University.

Agricultural confined-space related cases of injuries and fatalities saw a dramatic rise in 2022, including grain entrapment cases, which rose nearly 45%.

Nearly all of these cases involved grain flow issues due to grain spoilage, which means that improved grain management could help prevent cases in the future, according to Kristina TeBockhorst, an agricultural engineer with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

In order to get Iowans information to help keep them, their employees and their families safe around grain, TeBockhorst is publishing a series of short articles that highlight important considerations for grain safety, including storing grain without spoilage.

Her first article covers grain bin preparation – how to safely clean and prepare bins before new grain arrives.

“Now is the time to take inventory of your bins and ensure they are in good condition for the new crop,” said TeBockhorst. “These to-do lists aren’t fun, but they will help minimize grain spoilage from insect and mold activity and moisture entry.”

Before cleaning out old grain, be sure you have on your NIOSH-approved respirator that is certified for grain dusts, and that it fits your face to fully seal and protect you.

She advises farmers to “start with a clean bin, exterior bin perimeter, and handling equipment” by removing potential food sources for pests, including residual grain, broken kernels, fines, foreign material, dusts and molds.

1. Sweep the bin walls and floor, making sure to clean the tops of doors, inside hollow pipes or ladders, and inside of augers.
2. Trim down vegetation, remove grain material and debris, and consider using a rodenticide around the bin’s outer perimeter.
3. Clean out dust and debris from harvesting and handling equipment, like combines, trucks, wagons, augers, and in grain legs and elevators.
4. While the bin is empty, check mechanical parts and conduct needed maintenance, seal gaps or cracks along the bin, and check the roof for potential spots that could leak, especially around the vents or access doors.
5. If fines or Indian meal moth silks are starting to plug up the space below the floor, it is time to remove the floor to vacuum or power wash.
6. If the aeration floor can’t be removed, fumigation is the best option to eliminate carryover insects.
7. Check that ladders are in good condition and consider upgrading them with cages or replacing with staircases.
8. Assemble your safety equipment for your grain storage facility, like respirators, life harnesses, and lock-out tag-out kits for unloading equipment.
9. Ensure that all bin entry points have clear warning labels so that all are aware of the hazards. Also be sure that kids can’t enter bins and that they know of the hazards when they live or spend time around stored grain.

In her next installment, TeBockhorst will address safety concerns related to grain handling equipment. For more information, she can be reached at 319-337-2145 or ktebock@iastate.edu

The weather this year has benefited livestock producers by preventing overflows caused by rainfall that fills up manure storage areas, but Dan Anderson, an Iowa State University expert on manure management, says dry weather also has its issues.

He says farmer can get anxious and want to spread manure too early.

Once the crops out of the fields, he says the dry ground gives farmers less concern that manure would run off of rain saturated ground.

Anderson is associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at I-S-U, and the creator of the “Talkin’ Crap” podcast that discusses all aspects of manure management. You can find his podcast and other information on how to manage manure in wet and dry weather on the I-S-U Extension website.

Today:  Sunny with a high near 79. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight:  Mostly clear with a low around 54. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday:  A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny with a high near 77.
Saturday:  Mostly sunny with a high near 76.
Sunday:  Sunny, with a high near 76.
Monday:  Sunny, with a high near 81.

w/Kate Olson.

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Experts say river levels are so low the state’s fish population is stressed — and conditions could cause more fish kills. Meteorologist Jim Lee at the National Weather Service office in Des Moines says there’s not been enough rainfall to replenish rivers.

In many areas, river levels are so low canoeing and kayaking is not recommended because boats would scrape the river bottom. Lee says some of Iowa’s river basins are at 10 percent of normal capacity.

The first frost happens across Iowa during the first half of October and experts say if lakes and waterways were to freeze at these low levels, oxygen levels will be lower — and fish could suffer. Lee says it doesn’t appear weather patterns will change in the next couple of weeks or perhaps even longer.

In July, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported nearly 21-thousand Shovelnose Sturgeon had died along a 60 mile stretch of the Des Moines River in southeast Iowa. D-N-R biologists determined the fish kill was caused by low water levels and high-water temperatures. It was the largest fish kill in the region since 2012. In late August, the D-N-R estimates up to five-thousand fish were killed along a 74-mile stretch of the Upper Iowa River in Winneshiek County.

Today: Sunny with a high near 78.  Light and variable wind.

Tonight: Mostly clear with a low around 51.  South southeast wind around 5 mph.

Thursday: Sunny with a high near 79.  South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday: A slight chance of showers.  Partly sunny with a high near 76.  Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny with a high near 77.

Sunday: Sunny with a high near 74.

Fall migration is in full swing and hundreds of millions of songbirds are predicted to pass through the Midwest over the next few nights.  You can help these birds to migrate safely by turning off the lights at your home or business, especially between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am to help them migrate safely.

Over 80% of North America’s migratory birds migrate at night, and artificial light can impact their journey.  Migrating at night has many advantages for a bird.  Night skies are calmer and cooler than daytime skies which makes their very long journeys easier and lowers their risk of overheating.  Nocturnal migrants are also better able to avoid predators.  Many birds navigate using the stars and moon as a compass, but light pollution can interrupt this navigation.  Light pollution from homes, business, sports complexes, and industrial areas often disorients birds or attracts them to the light, slowing their migration and threatening their survival.  Light pollution is especially dangerous because it causes many birds to collide with buildings during migration, resulting in hundreds of millions of bird fatalities in North America each year.  Light pollution is increasing by 2% each year, but citizens and their communities can help reduce light pollution and in turn protect migrating birds.

Here are a few actions you can take to reduce light pollution and protect migratory birds:

• Turn off non-essential nighttime lights and use timers or motion detectors on essential lights to keep the usage to a minimum. (This helps save energy and money too!)
• Changing the color of your lights from cool (green and blue) to warm (red and yellow) has been shown to reduce disturbances to migrating birds. (Tip: Light color is measured in kelvins- the lower the number, the warmer the light.)
• Diverting lights downwards using lighting shields can help stop excess light from leaking into the night sky.
• Talk with your local government officials and community organizations and businesses about light ordinances or ways to reduce light pollution as a community, especially during spring and fall migration times.
• Visit https://www.audubon.org/lights-out-program to learn more!

A vice president for Summit Carbon Solutions says rejected requests to build the company’s carbon pipeline in North and South Dakota should not impact its pursuit of a construction permit in Iowa. Micah (MIKE-uh) Rorie (ROHR-ee) is in charge of land acquisition for the company and testified Tuesday at an Iowa Utilities Board hearing in Fort Dodge.

John Murray, an attorney for property owners who don’t want the pipeline on their land, quizzed Rorie about Monday’s permit denial in South Dakota.

Murray, an attorney from Storm Lake, also asked Rorie about last month’s denial of a permit to extend Summit’s pipeline through NORTH Dakota, where the company plans to store its liquid carbon underground.

Rorie says over 12-hundred Iowa landowners have voluntarily signed easements that give Summit access to over 33-hundred parcels of land along its proposed route through Iowa. The company is asking the Iowa Utilities Board for eminent domain authority to force 469 Iowa landowners who object to the project to sign property easements.

The number of train cars carrying grain across the state dropped in July.  The D-O-T’s Stuart Anderson told the Transportation Commission July continues what has been a downward trend.

Commissioner Ray Gaesser (Gas-er) of Corning is a grain farmer and says exports have slowed down substantially.

Gaesser says one of the factors is competition from South America.

Gaesser says production was down last year too, and the carryover of supply of corn is up 30 percent from one year ago.  Hauling grain on water is also an issue as Anderson says water levels have been dropping since June on the Mississippi River and are expected to continue to drop.

Anderson says that requires more barges to haul the same amount of grain — which causes other issues.

He says this year could end up being as challenging as it was last year when there were significant impacts on the transport and barge rates.