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The paltry amount of rain northern Indiana received in the past few days is only a fraction of what is needed to get through the spring and summer, according to experts in the field.
And that applies to Kosciusko County lakes and farms alike.
"If it doesn't rain, it's gonna be bad. Bad for recreationists, bad for people who grow hay for livestock, bad for people who grow corn and soybeans," said Ralph Gann, state statistician for USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service at Purdue University.
According to the National Weather Service, severe drought conditions exist over northern Indiana and southeast Michigan, a continuation of a nearly year-long drought in northern Indiana.
The NWS said precipitation shortfalls approach 12 inches at both Fort Wayne and South Bend since May 1, 1999, and that 6 inches of rain is needed on average over the next couple of weeks to bring soil moisture levels to near normal.
Lack of rain and little snow this winter have contributed to taking lake levels in general down about 6 to 12 inches, said Kenny Wade, public information officer for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
And that could cause problems this summer for boaters, he said.
"Everyone's gonna have to use some extra caution. There's gonna be shallow water where there hasn't been before, gonna be snags and rocks," he said.
And, Wade said, fish will be more concentrated in specific areas.
Bill Clark, sales consultant for Tippecanoe Boat Co., on the state's deepest lake, said Tippecanoe Lake is about 8 to 10 inches lower than usual. It affects the use of boat ramps because bigger boats can't get in the water as easily as before, and lake channels may be more difficult to navigate.
Carolyn Anderson, co-owner of Wawasee Boat Co., said Lake Wawasee is in good shape now, but "once warmer weather starts and there is more evaporation, then the lake level could decrease."
It also could put more boat traffic on lakes with less water loss, as boat owners move from more affected areas to higher lakes.
While low-water conditions may affect the boat business, Clark said, it won't stop there.
"It cuts the whole economy down in this part of the state," he said. "It doesn't just affect the marinas. The lakers buy groceries in town, use electricity, etc."
Gann said that while water levels may be 8 to 12 inches below normal, it's not necessary to receive that much rain to make up for the amount now lacking.
"Ideally, three-fourths of an inch of rain a week, like clockwork, from the end of May to the middle of August would be great," he said. "But years we've gotten by with less than that is because we've had a reserve in the subsoil. ... It ain't there and it looks like it's not going to be there."
Gann reiterated that the lack of snow this winter hurt everyone because snow melts slowly and is absorbed deeper into the subsoil.
He advised farmers to be cautious about conserving moisture and to think about tillage practices and seed selection.
While motorists rejoiced in the lack of snow this winter, farmers and others saw it as a possibly dangerous development.
"By this time next year if we don't get any more snow, it's really gonna be bad," Wade said.
It also may cause concern over drinking water supplies, Gann said. "People may be worried that the farmer down the road who uses irrigation is using up all their well water below ground," he said.
Kelly Easterday, Extension educator for Kosciusko County, said only about 10 percent of farms in the county are irrigated.
"It's gonna be a stressful summer," she said.
The NWS outlook for the remainder of April calls for above-normal temperatures and normal precipitation in Indiana. The report said, "This outlook will not result in any improvement in drought conditions across the area. A sustained period of several months of above normal precipitation is needed to end this drought."
