Drought

Sporadic rains have helped moderate drought conditions that had spread across most of the state, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor . As of May 22, all of the Baltimore region was considered “abnormally dry” except for southern Anne Arundel County. It had previously been under moderate drought conditions. Most of the Eastern Shore remains under moderate drought conditions, however. Five days out of every seven in May, at least a trace of rain has fallen at BWI Marshall Airport.

Dylan Donahue scored just one goal, but it might have been the most important one of the season for the Syracuse men's lacrosse team. The redshirt freshman attackman converted a feed from senior midfielder JoJo Marasco with 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter to help the top-seeded Orange escape past Yale, 7-6, in an NCAA tournament quarterfinal before an announced 3,939 at Byrd Stadium on Saturday. Syracuse, which has captured more Division I national championships (10) than any other program, improved to 15-3.

Maryland environmental officials have placed the Eastern Shore under a drought warning, encouraging water systems, residents and businesses to restrict water use. The warning is based on rainfall levels slipping to 70 percent of normal and well levels dropping well below normal. Some streams measured as indicators are at less than 5 percent of normal flow, considered "emergency" levels, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. Central Maryland, not including the area tapped into Baltimore's water system, remains under a drought watch.

The Baltimore area may get one more chance at a significant snowfall next week, but if it fails to materialize, the region could be wrapping up a record two-year snow drought. No back-to-back winters have posted as little snow as last winter and this winter, to date, since 1883. So far this winter, 4.8 inches of snow have fallen at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. If that figure stands, it would rank as the No. 11 least-snowy winter in Baltimore on record.

Significant rain on Saturday and on Monday came too late to reverse deteriorating crop conditions across Maryland last week, with more than half the state in moderate drought or worse. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Monday reported 50 percent of the state's corn crop was in "poor" to "very poor" condition last week, up from 38 percent the week before. Soy beans in similar shape went from 42 percent to 51 percent. The news isn't all bad. Ninety-eight percent of apples and 94 percent of peaches are in good to excellent condition.

Maryland environmental officials sustained "drought watch" status for most of the state based on data through May 31, but conditions have improved, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The drought watch still doesn't extend into the area served by Baltimore City reservoirs, but does cover Carroll and Harford counties, northern Baltimore County and all of western Maryland and the Eastern Shore. It is based on rainfall, stream flow, groundwater and reservoir levels, monitored by the Maryland Department of the Environment.

The federal Small Business Administration said Monday it would make loans available to businesses in Carroll and Frederick counties that were affected by last summer's drought. Small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and nonprofit organizations can apply for loans of up to $2 million, with interest rates ranging from 3 to 4 percent. Farmers were not eligible for the SBA program, but they received support last fall from the USDA Farm Service Agency. Potential applicants to the SBA program can visit the agency's secure website to apply: https://disasterloan.

The Eastern Shore is under a drought watch, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. Below-normal snow- and rainfall has the MDE closely observing precipitation, stream flow, groundwater levels and reservoir storage. But there are no restrictions being placed on water usage -- at least not yet. MDE encourages people to be aware of their water use and to use less water. Local water jurisdictions could place restrictions, but haven't yet, according to the department.

A developing drought across the eastern half of Maryland could worsen without a few periods of soaking rain, and drizzle like that seen Wednesday won't be enough to cut the rainfall deficit. At Carter and Draper Farms on the Eastern Shore, John Draper is used to dealing with a summer drought once every few years. But rarely has he been in his current predicament: There has been so little spring rain, he fears if he plants 225 acres of corn as planned, it quickly will die. A few inches into the sandy soil, there is moisture.

The Maryland Department of the Environment on Tuesday extended a drought watch to western Maryland and parts of central Maryland. A drought watch was already in effect for the Eastern Shore since April 13. The drought watch includes all of Harford and Carroll counties and parts of Baltimore and Howard counties, as well as Frederick County and points west. It doesn't include areas that get water service through Baltimore city. MDE issues a drought watch when at least two indicators show developing drought conditions.

As the economy continues to flounder, many cities are looking for ways to replicate Silicon Valley's financial success. When seeking to catch the magic of those biggest successes - Apple, Google and Facebook - the word "innovation" gets thrown around frequently. And as intellectual property is taking on a larger and larger role in how companies do business in the Bay Area, many have equated innovation with patents. A recent Sun article about innovation in Baltimore and Maryland focused on just that.

The last time Coppin State won a game at the Towson Center, Fang Mitchell was in the seventh year of his 26-year reign as the Eagles head coach and on the way to an undefeated season in conference play and a second NCAA tournament. The Eagles ended the 20-year drought Wednesday night by making some clutch shots in the closing seconds for a 64-61 victory. Coppin State's Michael Murray, who entered the game second in the nation with seven double doubles, finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Soccer D.C. United can end 5-year playoff drought tonight By defeating or tying the Columbus Crew tonight at RFK Stadium, D.C. United would end a five-year Major League Soccer playoff drought. Even with a loss, United would clinch if the Houston Dynamo falls to the Philadelphia Union. A Dynamo tie wouldn't seal the deal for United but would ease some of the pressure entering the finale. What United would like to avoid is a decisive game on the last weekend. The squad closes next Saturday Oct. 27 at playoff-bound Chicago, while New York, Houston and Columbus face noncontending teams.

Maryland has returned to normal conditions as far as any summer drought is concerned, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. At least one region of the state has been in a drought watch or warning since March under MDE's drought status indicators, but one drought watch that has lingered on the Eastern Shore has been lifted based on data as of Sept. 30. Stream flow level is still considered below normal east of the Chesapeake Bay, and rainfall is still below-normal in the southern region.

Corn prices have reached record highs as a result of this summer's devastating drought, and it hasn't taken long for some to use the crisis as leverage for their own political agendas - namely, the opposition to domestic renewable fuel. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which requires that a certain portion of America's fuel come from homegrown, renewable sources, is under attack. The standard passed Congress with bipartisan support in 2007 in order to reduce foreign oil imports, create jobs and lower the cost of gasoline.

More than 90 percent of the leaves have fallen off our 30-year-old English walnut trees. They started falling several weeks ago, and two neighbors also have this problem. What is wrong, and what can I do about it? We are getting many reports of mature trees of assorted species dropping leaves. We suspect that this is a result of stress from the repeated droughts and excessively high temperatures this summer. Other plants are displaying early autumn behaviors, too, such as apples, which are maturing much earlier than normal.

Ravens free safety Ed Reed is dealing with an eight-game streak of zero interceptions, but the seven-time Pro Bowler insisted that he has no concerns about this current drought. “No, man. I've been playing ball, being where I'm supposed to be,” Reed said Wednesday. “To be perfectly honest, they haven't thrown my way. That's the game plan that some teams come with. So plays will come. I'm not worried about that. We have a winning record, we've been winning, and if me not making a play [means]

The area of drought covering nearly two-thirds of the country shrunk only slightly as drought intensified in the Midwest and Great Plains, according to the latest weekly update from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Conditions meanwhile worsened in parts of Maryland, but could improve, according to forecasts. Sixty-three percent of the continental U.S. is in at least a moderate drought, down one percentage point from a week ago. In comparison, a year ago, 30 percent of the continental U.S. was in at least a moderate drought.

This year's drought, along with recent news reports of the lowest corn yield in 17 years, has rekindled the food vs. fuel debate - and, for good reasons. When Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007, an ambitious schedule for incorporating ethanol into the nation's fuel supply known as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was established. Though ethanol was sold as a way to make our energy supply more secure, little consideration was given to what every farmer knows: Mother Nature can be fickle, as this year's drought proves.

Gov.Martin O'Malleyhas requested federal disaster relief for 13 counties in the state that have experienced "widespread crop losses" this year due to drought and extreme heat. In a letter dated Tuesday, O'Malley asked Tom Vilsack, secretary of theU.S. Department of Agriculture, to issue a Secretarial Disaster Designation for the counties based on Maryland Farm Service Agency data showing they are experiencing crop losses of more than 30 percent this year. "I urge you to act quickly upon this request so that appropriate relief can be made available to eligible producers," O'Malley wrote in the letter.