Emergency water & hay access available for MO farmers

(KBSI) – Missouri farmers now have a little easier way to obtain emergency hay and water for livestock.

In response to worsening drought conditions throughout the state and with the advice of the Missouri Drought Assessment Committee, Governor Mike Parson announced the availability and process for Missouri family farms to obtain emergency hay and water:

Boat ramps at 25 Missouri state parks will be open for farmers to collect water. Almost 700 acres are available for haying at 17 state parks. Boat ramps at 36 Missouri Department of Conservation areas are also open for water collection.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is offering special overwidth hauling permits at no charge to help farmers and ranchers move hay.

“As drought conditions continue to deteriorate across Missouri, we want to do all we can to help our family farms mitigate the devastating effects of severe drought,” Governor Parson said in a news release to media. “With the current water deficit, we know it will take a lot of rain for our state and its agricultural community to recover from the drought. While our prayers for rain continue, state government will do its part to assist wherever and whenever it can.”

Water can be accessed from state park and MDC boat launches and water access points during normal operational hours. It is required to contact MDC area managers before collecting water from conservation areas.

Water is available for livestock needs only and not for resale. Farmers need to provide their own pumping and hauling equipment. Visit dnr.mo.gov/drought to find contact information and a map displaying locations to pump water from state boat ramps.

Missouri state parks with haying opportunities are available to view online at mostateparks.com/drought. Those interested in obtaining hay from these locations can contact the park superintendent to view the designated area. The first person who views the area and wants the hay will be issued a license to cut the hay at no cost. Guidelines and boundaries for cutting the hay on state park property will be provided at that time. Signing a license is required before haying can begin, according to the governor’s office. Missouri State Parks will allow haying on or after June 25. Hay must be removed before Sept. 25.

Other opportunities to cut hay on conservation areas might be available to assist farmers in need of hay to harvest. Those wanting to inquire about cutting hay on conservation areas should contact their local MDC regional office. Details for each of these regional offices can be found on MDC’s website at mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage/regional-mdc-offices.

Special hay hauling permits can be requested through the MoDOT Carrier Express online service at modot.org/mce. MoDOT permits cover movement within Missouri only and are required for each truck. Call MoDOT’s Motor Carrier Services office at 1-800-877-8499 with questions.

“These drought relief opportunities for Missouri landowners are proactive measures to help our state prepare for and respond to the effects of drought,” Dru Buntin, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources said. “We will continue to monitor environmental impacts to public water supplies and plan for various drought scenarios to ensure we are prepared as conditions change.”

Governor Parson issued Executive Order 23-05, declaring a drought alert for 60 Missouri counties on May 31. Continuing hot, dry weather means drought conditions are expected to further degrade heading into summer. Other counties will be added to the alert and be eligible for assistance as they reach established drought thresholds, according to the governor’s office.

Residents are encouraged to assist local, state, and national decision makers better understand drought conditions in their area by submitting a survey form via the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) service linked via dnr.mo.gov/drought.

The Missouri Department of Conservation warns of the increased risk for wildfires that drought conditions can cause. Tap here to visit MDC’s wildfire prevention for more information on how to best prevent wildfire.

More information about drought conditions, agricultural resources, and drinking water assistance can be found at dnr.mo.gov/drought.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is offering a special overwidth hauling permit at no charge to help farmers and ranchers move hay as needed. Loads must be of legal height, length and weight.

Permits can be requested using the MoDOT Carrier Express online service, located at modot.org/mce. To ensure the fee is waived, hay haulers should place a comment in the application about the fee waiver. The blanket permit fee of $96 and single trip fee of $15 are waived for hay haulers through Dec. 1, 2023.

Before hauling, drivers must apply for the special overwidth hauling permit for loads that exceed 8 feet and 6 inches in width, and map their route to avoid work zones, bridges and other areas that have weight, narrow-lane or height restrictions. This information, as well as a special bridge and height restriction view, is available on the MoDOT Traveler Information Map at traveler.modot.org.

MoDOT’s waiver and special overwidth permit allows drivers in Missouri to:

• Obtain the permit at no cost.
• Haul hay loads of up to 12 feet and 6 inches in width using a blanket permit.
• Haul hay loads up to 14 feet in width using single-trip permits.
• Move hay during holiday periods and at night. At night, or when visibility is less than 500 feet, drivers must use a reflective, oversized load sign and clearance lights instead of the normal flags required at the edges of the load.

Drivers must adhere to all permit requirements, such as using proper signage and lighting and stopping at weigh stations. Most of the southeastern United States is currently under a quarantine zone for imported fire ants, which can be easily spread through the movement of hay. Farmers and ranchers who believe they have received fire ants in a shipment of hay should call their local University of Missouri Extension agent as soon as possible.

Those visiting the MoDOT Carrier Express system for the first time will find a link to obtain a customer ID and password needed to access the service. Required information includes:

• The make, license plate number and vehicle identification number (VIN) of the power unit, and
• The farm business name and address.

MoDOT permits cover movement within Missouri only and are required for each truck. Questions may be directed to MoDOT’s Motor Carrier Services office at 1-800-877-8499.