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South Dakotans battle the heat
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FarkRAPID CITY - With a little help from a ridge of high pressure, the dog days of summer are living up to their reputation, and we still have four weeks left of that seven-week period from July 3 to Aug. 11 the Old Farmer's Almanac defines as the dog days of summer.
"Hot pretty much sums it up," National Weather Service meteorologist Megan Holm said Monday. It's "average, run of the mill" weather for July, she said.
According to Holm, a "big ridge of high pressure" stalled over the Rocky Mountains and it will push temperatures into the high 90s and over the 100-degree mark for the rest of the week.
A slight break could come Thursday resulting in temperatures in the 90s, Holm offered as way of a consolation.
The long-range forecast hints at a little relief by the middle of next week, but for gardeners and homeowners dedicated to having lush green lawns, the battle with the heat is likely to continue.
These hot, dry days are taking a toll on lawns seeded with cool-season turf grasses such as Kentucky Blue grass, according to master gardener-in-training Amy Lewis, a volunteer at the Pennington County Extension office.
"Kentucky bluegrass takes a lot of water," she said.
Kentucky bluegrass responds to heat and drought by going dormant, which results in a tawny-colored lawn. Leaves dry up and turn brown as the plant shuts down and channels any reserves to its crown, rhizomes and roots.
Referring to a publication from South Dakota State University, Lewis recommends applying one-quarter to one-half inch of water once every two to four weeks.
"The objective is to keep the turf dormant, but provide sufficient moisture to keep the crown and underground parts of the plant alive," Leo Schleicher, of SDSU's department of Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape and Parks writes. The lawn will green again with cooler temperatures and fall moisture.
For homeowners dedicated to a lush, green lawn, Schleicher advises watering in the early morning hours. Once a week, give your lawn 1 to 1.5 inches of water soaking the lawn to a depth of 6 to 8 eight inches. It might be necessary to shut the water off to allow the grass to absorb the water.
And, mow high. Lawn grasses should be kept at heights of between 2 inches and 4 inches during the spring and summer.
Lewis also has fielded a variety of questions from frustrated gardeners whose tomato crops are exhibiting signs of blossom end rot. Tomatoes suffering from blossom end rot have black spots on the bottom of the fruit.
The heat is also keeping cucumbers from setting on blossoms, she said.
Lewis' best advice for gardeners is to "get out and hand water" their gardens, which circumvents city watering restrictions. Use plenty of mulch and water close to plant stems.
"Be patient and give it some time," Lewis said. "Hopefully, the heat will go down. If you baby the plant, it will do its thing."
Rapid City residents are using water on their lawns and gardens, but not at an abnormally high rate for summer, according to John Wagner, manager of the city's water division.
The city pumped 26 million gallons of water on Friday, July 13.
Water demand can average between 26 million and 30 million gallons daily during hot spells, Wagner said. The city has the capacity to pump 40 million gallons daily.
City water restrictions allow residents with even-numbered addresses to water on even-numbered days. Those with odd-numbered addresses are allowed water on odd-numbered days. Hand watering is not restricted.
Watering is prohibited between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
"Since this is the seventh year of a drought it becomes more important for people to become more water conscious," Wagner said.
Wagner asks that homeowners refrain from hosing off driveways, running water taps to cool water and allowing the water to run while brushing your teeth.
Conservation measures are frequently implemented more as a matter of sensitivity to a water system's capacity to deliver water than a shortage of underground water supplies, according to Ken Buhler of the state Division of Water Rights.
The state has 1,600 observation wells scattered across the state with 60 of those located in the Black Hills. Those wells monitor the water levels in the state's five major aquifers.
Water levels are lower than they were in the early 1990s when the region experienced above-normal rainfall, Buhler said.
But there is nothing to indicate that the aquifers are threatened, he said.
"What is most significant is not how dry we are now, but how wet we were in the late '90s," Buhler said. Water is not the only resource being tapped as residents cope with the summer heat.
Black Hills Power is running electricity loads at record levels of more than 400 megawatts at any time, according to spokesperson Barbara Zar. Average usage is about 300 megawatts, she said.
"If it stays over 100, it's very likely the need will grow, but we do have adequate power to meet customers' needs," Zar said.
Black Hills Power does ask customers to use energy wisely. Customers can help even out the peaks and valleys in demand by running washer and dishwashers in the evening after the commercial and industrial load on the system lessens, she said.
If air conditioner sales at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse are any indication, the demand for power will stay strong. A spokesman said sales are up this year.
"A lot of air conditioners are going out the door," he said.
Contact Andrea Cook at 394-8423 or andrea.cook@rapidcityjournal.com
Neighboring lawns offer a contrast in summer lawn management. The homeowner on the left has opted to continue watering the cool-season turf grass while the lawn on the right has ceased watering, allowing the grass to go dormant. (Steve McEnroe/Journal staff)
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