No End In Sight For Maryland's Withering Drought - Soil Too Dry For Crops To Germinate - Sun

With a near-record drought parching the state, the coming winter will be critical in determining whether Maryland faces even more disastrous crop failures for farmers and strict watering curbs for suburban homeowners in 2008. And while there may be showers today, the prospects for real drought relief in the coming months appear slim.

"They're forecasting warm temperatures and dry conditions in the Southeast drought areas at least through spring," said Richard Heim, a meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center.

If so, Marylanders will be facing more headaches in the new year. Measurements in streams and groundwater wells are hitting record lows in parts of Maryland, hydrologists report. "If we don't start to conserve water, and we don't get the rain, we could be forced to restrict water use next year. So what we save now can pay off in the future," said U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Wendy McPherson.

Farmers are already looking at winter grain crops that have failed to germinate in the dry soil. And water levels in area reservoirs have continued to fall since state officials declared a drought watch in 15 Maryland counties 2 1/2 weeks ago

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