we need rain and lots of it...

Post by **kris** » June 30, 2013, 10:25 am

has anyone noticed how low the water levels are here in Isaan? I recall the floods of 2011 but since then there has been little rain to speak of. I have noticed many, infact most lakes and reservoirs in the region are at lower levels than I have ever seen before in 7 years of buzzing around on my jakayan...

in previous years this reservoir has always been full in the wet season. sometimes low in the low season but nothing like what you can see in the photos below.

in the dry season the stumps of the trees that stood before these reservoirs were reservoirs were visible and amazingly come the end of June they are still visible. normally by the end of june one would expect the levels to have reason considerably...

the locals are worried. I have had many conversations - all be it in my limited pigeon Laow - with the locals and they are definitely concerned about there crops.

if come the end of this wet season all we got is stumps and a few puddles... Isaans got a problem....

below are photos taken in mid march 2013

Post by **kris** » June 30, 2013, 10:26 am

below are photos taken of the same lake yesterday (29th June) from the same viewpoint... one would have expected levels to have reason by now but if anything the levels have dropped further since mid march....

in the pictures you can see the water level measuring posts... the water is nowhere near even the bottom of the posts

infact it no longer looks like a lake or a reservoir.... more like a swamp...

Post by **747man** » June 30, 2013, 10:39 am

Well we had a GOOD Downpour last night in Nongers.....

Post by **Svein66** » June 30, 2013, 11:14 am

We have village water, but there has not been any water in the pipes since April. Don`t know if it`s due to little water where it comes from, or if it`s because many of the houses here are waiting for city water, and the person in charge of village water are "punishing" us for wanting to leave them.
With all the rain we have got since we lost the water, I think it should have been back now if the reason in April was too little water somewhere.
Anyway, it`s good business for those selling water as several companies are driving in the area daily to fill people`s watertanks.

Post by **tuni** » June 30, 2013, 11:57 am

These lakes were completely full to the brim a couple of years ago, now they just empty craters with puddles at the bottom. The last photo you can see a couple of excavators removing dirt from the dried up lake to increase the depth. We will need a lot of rain to fill them up again.

Post by **parrot** » June 30, 2013, 12:13 pm

Udon's main reservoir, Huai Luang, is likewise very low. My own observation over the years: 2" here or there, even a few times a month, isn't going to replenish the supply in the reservoirs. Only a good dousing by a tropical storm (coming from Vietnam direction) does the trick. Last year, the approaching storms took a dip to the south and missed Udon. If we don't get one this year, I'm wondering how the growing city of Udon will cope.

Post by **kris** » June 30, 2013, 12:35 pm

yes, also the red lotus sea near khumpawapi is looking very dry... if you look at google earth back in 2006 it was full.. the divide between land and water is clear to see.... i would like to sea a satelite shot of it today ... now riding along the banks you can`t even see where the water starts.. if there is any.. and certainly no red lotus flowers to be seen...

Post by **747man** » June 30, 2013, 1:07 pm

I Still think MOST People would think it's better than having the Floods ( Like Last Year )...Water, Water Everywhere.But Not a drop to drink.....

KB_Texas · Post by **KB_Texas** » June 30, 2013, 1:19 pm

The lake across the street from the Udon Sunshine Orchid farm is quite small as lakes go, but it was down to where you could see the bottom a long way from the shoreline. After the rains of the last few weeks, it has risen some, but not as much as I expected it to. At least now it looks a bit more like a lake than a large puddle, though it is probably still 4 - 6 feet low. When I got here in October two years ago, it was 4 - 6 feet higher than it is today.

The good news is that we have been getting fairly constant rain here over the last 3 weeks or so. Got a t-storm last night, and about 3 days of steady rain last week, so maybe we'll see the levels return to a more normal level if it keeps up. I assume it takes a bit for the run off to top up the lakes, and the ground was so dry it has not hit the run-off stage yet as the ground is just soaking it up.

KB

Post by **kris** » June 30, 2013, 1:30 pm

well I shall report again at the end of July.

I think if we can still see the stumps come the end of August, then by March 2014 those reservoirs and lakes will be deserts...

Post by **FrazeeDK** » June 30, 2013, 1:54 pm

same in my area.. ponds down to the rocks.. But, you've got to figure that last year's drought probably dropped water tables very very low so as it rains the ground is probably sucking up a considerable amount of water. Once the ground tables are saturated the lakes and ponds will start to fill up again.. Hopefully, as Parrot points out, we'll get a good typhoon coming westward over the South China Sea that''ll give us a good drenching..

Post by **FarangViking** » June 30, 2013, 4:38 pm

OK - Let's dance! (RAIN-DANCE)

Post by **FrazeeDK** » June 30, 2013, 6:39 pm

or call out the Thai Air Force rain-making squadrons to make the (as the TW says) "Fake Rain"..

Post by **kris** » July 1, 2013, 6:54 am

some interesting information posted on TV forum

http://www.kromchol.com/array/BDam.htm

what it does seem to confirm is that the Udon Thani region definitely has a problem with the Huai Luang only at 19% full... levels are at their lowest in this short period and I fear even the small recovery this month is down to the fact that they are not letting any water out into the canals... most of the canals around here are totally dry.. the ones that aren`t are just a small trickle.

Post by **parrot** » July 1, 2013, 6:56 pm

The graph that accompanies that website shows the yearly recharge taking place in July-Sept/Oct.
I'm sort of surprised I haven't come across anything in the local press about water level concerns.....I guess the authorities are banking on the annual recharge.

Post by **Quanteen** » July 1, 2013, 7:37 pm

The Mekong is rising nicely as it does every year. There's a reason most of the biggest cities in the world situate themselves near/on a significant waterway. Of course, there's a risk of flood, so build with that in mind -- you'll not be without water for long. It's easy to pump water a few hundred meters in from the river -- then, the price of fuel starts to overtake the value of what's being grown.

You can check out the river levels here: Some Udon Thani villages come quite close to the river.
http://www.mrcmekong.org/

Post by **kris** » July 2, 2013, 8:31 am

to be fair, the state of the mekong isn`t really a fair reflection of how the climate is here in Udon. most of the water from the mekong will be from the mountains of Laos and china

Post by **Barney** » July 2, 2013, 12:31 pm

Posters are mentioning small and medium lakes that are drying up, most lakes don't have a natural system to drain them off completely dry, are these lakes for show or for a water supply to something, surely it can't all be evaporation or is someone pumping out a greedy proportion with no care for others. if you walked around these dry lakes are there pipes leading off ????

Post by **trubrit** » July 6, 2013, 6:22 pm

You asked for it. The road outside the new sports center near Makro , this afternoon.

Post by **pienmash** » July 6, 2013, 7:11 pm

OOPS ... build a new sports center without improving the infrastructure around it including the drainage and ...hey presto nam tuam .. and this only after a heavy shower . time to break out the prisoners from the local klink to get the cities drains cleaned up .