Georgia remains drought-stricken despite recent rain

ALBANY - Most of Georgia remains unusually dry, despite 2 to 3 inches of rain last week that moistened the ground and caused some rivers to temporarily swell. <br> <br> The state has been in a drought since May 1998, leading to statewide water restrictions, payments to farmers who don&#39;t irrigate, dry wells for some rural residents and a daytime ban on lawn watering in metro Atlanta. <br> <br> The state Environmental Protection Division announced last week that it may make a severe drought declaration by March 1, authorizing a second round of payments to farmers in the Flint River Basin who agree not to irrigate. <br> <br> Last year, during the first summer of the Flint River Drought Protection Act, the EPD saved about 130 million gallons a day by paying farmers $4.5 million to idle some irrigation systems. <br> <br> David Stooksbury, the state climatologist, said he expects dry conditions to continue across south Georgia, with near normal rainfall in the northern third of the state.

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