Rain blankets region
Rain blankets region
It hasn’t happened in a long time but Mountrail County got soaked last week with numerous rain events that halted harvest and brought minor street flooding to Parshall.
Unofficial reports suggest that nearly two inches of rain fell on Parshall during the first week of September, including just under an inch on Thursday.
It was the greatest precipitation total in months and although it stopped small grains harvest in its tracks, most producers were happy to get the rain.
But Mountrail County Extension agent Jim Hennessy said the rain is going to begin to deteriorate some of the wheat and durum that remains standing.
“First of all the rain is going to slow harvest and start to bleach out the durum and the wheat,” he said. “Second of all, the prolonged rains will drop the quality of the crops.”
On a positive note, the liberal amount of rain is going to replenish native grasses and pastureland for next year’s ranching. Hennessy said he doubts there will be enough to refill livestock dugouts, as that will most likely depend on snowpack, but the rain will restore nutrients lost during the drought.
Many livestock producers have resorted to hauling and piping water to their cattle since numerous stock ponds have dried up. Other producers have sold off their herds to minimize the expense.
