daily nebraskan
page 19
Wednesday, august 24, 1977
Above-average
rainfall relieves
some of drought
By Tarn Lee
The drought which has afflicted Nebraskans for the
past three years has been replaced by abundant rain in
some parts of the state, according to one specialist.
"Trends over the past three years predicted more dry
weather," said Dayle Williamson, Nebraska Natural
Resources Commission director.
"There was a real turn around in the north-central part
of the state. That area is much wetter than usual, about
150 per cent (more than) normal," he said.
In contrast, the southeastern part of the state is in a '
severe drought, and some farmers have lost crops there,
he said. Lincoln is about normal, he added.
Precipitation has been normal or above for the state
as a whole from March through August, except in June,
said Arthur Douglas," UNL Assistant Professor of Geo
graphy. "Drought was predicted by many people, but not
by me," Douglas said.
Many people think the three year Nebraska drought
is part of a 20-year cycle, he said. Cycles can be predicted
by studying mspots years before a drought occurs, he
said. v
That method is unreliable for more than six months
at a time, he. added. ..
By studying surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean,
Douglas said, he can tell what weather the Midwest will
experience. '
"Sea surface temperatrues strongly affect drought
because the ocean supplies most, if not all, the moisture
for rainfall," he said.
"The temperature of the ocean affects evaporation and
storms," he said. If the ocean temperature rises one degree
Centigrade, 11 inches of water will evaporate into the
atmosphere.
Douglas said predictions are made by studying
temperature change in the Pacific, rather than Atlantic
Ocean, because storms move from west to east.
The temperature in the Pacific started to rise at the end
of last summer, indicating a wet season, Douglas said.
Despite the additional rainfall this summer, the ground
water supply continues to decline in many areas of the
state, but is rising in some areas, Williamson said.
The water table is declining, around York, Imperial,
Alliance and O'Neill he said.
"Even with normal rainfall there will be a decline in
the water table because of irrigation wells " Williamson
explained.
"I look for more and more controls on ground water
usage to come along in the future," he said. 1
"People can t use all the water they want any more.
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' Photo by Ted Kirk
This boat, sitting in the mud where water used to be, is mute testimony to the effects of a three-year drought.
Veterans not using payment plan
Nebraska's student veterans are almost totally ignoring
an advance payment plan designed to slop educational
overpayments, according - to James Smith, regional
director of the Veterans Administration.
Smith said the plan is designed to prevent full semester
payments to veterans who withdraw froraschool before
the second semester ends.
The system was enacted by Congress last October and
" went into effect in JuneMn the plast, veterans who re
gistered for classes received an automatic advance pay--ment
for the first six weeks of school. Veterans then re
ceived payments on the first of each month.
Smith said with the new system students must apply
for the advance payment 30 days before registration.
Veterans then receive payments at the end of every
month; Smith said.
For veterans who need more help there are delayed
intercst loans of up to $1800 per academic year and a
work-study program paying $625, $250 to be paid in
advance, Smith said.
Smith said the total dollar amounts will remain the
same but a gap in payments is created. Under the new
system veterans will receive the advance payment on Sept.
1 , Smith said, but will not receive the next payment until
Nov 1. Veterans not applying for, the advance payment
will receive payments on Oct. 1, Nov. 1, and so on, Smith
said.
Of the approximately 1500 veterans at UNL, Smith
said only a small percentage have applied for the advance
payment. Smith said the veterans apparently want to
avoid the two month gap in payments.
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