Just in time for Earth Day on April 22, the UMass Extension in Amherst, Mass., has debuted its innovative drought information Web site, www.UmassDroughtInfo.org. In the wake of the national and regional drought crisis, the Web site purports to provide up-to-the-minute drought information for industry professionals and homeowners alike.
Ideas for the site originated from Kathleen Carroll, who heads the landscape, nursery and urban forestry team of the Extension’s agroecology program, said Wesley Blixt, Extension editor. Development for the site took place over about two weeks, and even though site unveiling had originally been planned for Earth Day, the Extension instead introduced the site on April 3 for the statewide Agriculture Day. “It will be another three weeks until we get to a point where we’re really comfortable with the generated content, but we thought it was important to have the first version ready for the state Agriculture Day,” Blixt noted.
The site targets several topic areas, including agriculture, environment, health, and home and garden, and discusses how drought affects each of these areas. Each section highlights comprehensive drought statistics and quick tips for dealing with and understanding drought. In addition, sections offer copious links to publications and Web sites with further information.
For example, the environment section offers an extensive list of drought indices, as well as information about water sources, water conservation, and wildlife-human interactions as related to drought. Further, a K-12 education area attempts to explain the effects of drought to younger generations.
Blixt highlighted the agriculture section as one of the most important because of the obvious effects drought has on the nation’s crops and the section’s resulting relevance to both professional growers and homeowners. “It’s one of the most visited portions, where everyone can go to find out what is happening with crops, what types of mitigation can be employed and planting alternatives,” he said. “Probably one of the most useful aspects of it is the natural resources section, which contains local restrictions and conservation measures.”
Since these water restrictions vary from city to city across the state of Massachusetts, Blixt stressed the need to update the UMass drought site on a daily basis. “It’s up to every single water system in the commonwealth to come up with its own drought response,” he related. “There are potentially hundreds of bans and regulations, so I like the site to be a current and accurate resource so people know what’s happening – for example, if they’re wondering, ‘Can I wash my car today?’ We’re hoping this is the type of information we’ll be able to provide in a timely, accurate way.”
However, Blixt pointed out that the site avoids scare tactics to educate people about the drought situation. “We have to be careful not to panic people by saying, ‘Don’t plant flowers this season because you can’t water them,’” he said. “We just want to help people make the best decisions they can under these circumstances.”
Thus far, the UMass site has garnered positive feedback from both the private and the public sector, which Blixt views simply as an impetus for further development. “The feedback is positive in the sense that we want to make sure we stay on top of this,” he said. “We need to keep it current and accurate, because having incorrect information is worse than not having any.”
The UMass Extension is a statewide outreach service of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass. Visitors can view the drought information site at http://www.UmassDroughtInfo.org.
The author is Assistant Editor – Internet of Lawn & Landscape magazine.