As farmers finish seeding across the Prairies, many in the south are celebrating a much wetter spring than expected, with the worst drought conditions now concentrated in the northwest Peace River region. Nichole Neubauer is relieved to see all the greenery popping up on her farm in southeast Alberta.
More rain than expected arrived across many parts of southern Alberta this spring, and Medicine Hat saw its third-wettest May on record. But over the last month, the blazing red illustrating the worst of the drought in southern Alberta has been erased, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Still, Hadwen said, water supplies for southern irrigation districts remain a concern this summer. And long-term soil moisture deficits from multiple years of compounding drought can't be solved in one rainy month.
These already sold most of the yearlings in his herd of about 200 cattle, knowing he'd be in a tough spot to grow enough feed.