It remains dry here on the Clinch Mountain in far Southwest Virginia! Though the year started out with adequate rain fall, most of the rain passes to the west and north of Scott County. We are now over 3 inches below the normal level for this date! Last year we only received half our normal rain fall and a late freeze was disastrous. Some tree species, spring flowers, and much of our fruit was damaged. (We lost 90% of our blueberries in 2007.)
The huge box elder trees that flourish in the lower sections of our property (not in the 500-year forest) seem to have been hurt the most. Many branches lost their leaves last year, thus producing dead limbs which make for precarious situations near our house and farm buildings.
Damage to trees at higher elevations is not as noticeable, especially the old trees which are well rooted. However this may change if the drought continues as we understand it usually takes 2 or 3 years for it to affect most trees.
The invasive plants, such as the garlic mustard, seem to thrive under this climatic stress and its growth may even have been stimulated. It is back in full force this spring. It appears to be most prevalent in the valleys where it is less dry and has spread both up and down the hollers from the trails that run through them. With the help of Dale Fields we have been able to remove a large number of these plants in the Old Growth section of the property. Dale has spent three days pulling and piling the plants in areas where they were most abundant. Though the plants have finished blooming they will not go to seed for some time yet, so Dale will continue to pull them as time allows.
Our mountain springs continue to flow! For that we are thankful. All the water coming to our house is gravity fed and the springs are high enough above us to provide the necessary 40 lbs of pressure. We have the sweetest, purist drinking water available anywhere. Because trees have not been cut on our part of the Clinch Mountain for many years we believe the springs will continue to flow much longer than on other properties where major cutting has taken place. If the drought does continue we may soon be providing water to our neighbors and friends. Last summer many shallow wells and non-forested springs in our region went dry.