Southern General Manager Gary Hedman and Welk said June's usage rose 200 percent from 40 million kilowatt hours to 81 million kilowatt hours. Welk said last month's electrical usage jumped 57 percent from 60 million kilowatt hours to about 105 million kilowatt hours. July's usage rose from 85 million kilowatt hours last year to 92 million kilowatt hours this year. Welk attributed the August increase to irrigators' demand for electricity to pump water, while July's rise in consumption occurred primarily because of more air conditioning usage. We're in a situation where Mother Nature has not treated us very well.
Farmers typically raise the maximum amount of yield they can on their land.
But this year is different, Jensen said. They have to look at the economics of whether they can get back what they put into the crop. Although this is Kevin Breece's first year working for Natural Resources Conservation Service in Grand Island as a water management specialist, he has never received as many calls from farmers in general as he has this year. Gravity irrigators in Central Platte Natural Resources District's territory from Gothenburg to Silver Creek experienced a multitude of problems, such as crop residue creating dams in rows, Breece said. Pivot irrigators had their share as well.