Businesses Losing Time, Money
July 05--MERCER COUNTY AREA -- Heavy rain in June has local businesses drowning in lost time and productivity.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports it rained at Shenango River Lake 23 of the 30 days in June. The Corps oversees the lake and Shenango Dam. Rainfall totaled 11.11 inches at the lake for the month.
"That's not a record," said John Kolodziejski, resource manager at the lake. "But that's well above normal."
As of late Friday afternoon the water level at the lake stood at 902.32 feet above sea level, nearly 8 feet higher than the normal summer lake level. But the level is below the all-time record of 908.22 feet recorded in June 1989. The maximum level for the lake is 914.17 feet.
High water levels at the lake have resulted in a third Shenango's campsites being closed, along with boat launch areas, including the popular Mahaney launch. Kolodziejski said the Corps will open Mahaney as soon as possible when conditions improve.
With RC Marina docking ramps under water at the lake in Clark, owner Reda Cunningham has paddle boats available so boat owners can get to their crafts. But boat sales and service to the crafts remain strong.
"This isn't our first rodeo," Cunningham joked of heavy rains.
Nobody has been harder hit than local agri-business.
"I've been involved in farm Extension and scouting crops since 1987," said Gary Micsky, educator with Mercer County Cooperative Extension. "This is definitely one of the worst years I can remember as far as excessive rainfall and crops being stunted."
Area farmers found many of their fields submerged, making it impossible to plant or properly tend, Micsky said. As of Friday, a large number of them still hadn't gotten their planting done.
"I have a hard time thinking of anybody with a smile on their face," he added.
Another blow for farmers who rely on hay to feed their animals have found much of their crop in swamp-like fields. Even if the fields dry it's not going to bring much glee.
"Because the fields have been in the water so long, it will just be horrible feed value for protein and such," Micsky said. "But you have to cut it in order to get to the next batch."
Elliot Lengel, co-owner of Lengel Farm in Findley Township, said the rains made him as much as a month late in planting. While much of his current crops are doing fairly well, it's been difficult to keep up with chores.
"That rain has slowed us down real good," Lengel said.
While many farmers have crop insurance, money they get from those policies won't be enough to cover all their losses. The situation is so bad it evoked talk from Micsky of Hurricane Agnes.
Remnants of that 1972 June hurricane stalled over much of the Mid-Atlantic, including Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Over a five-day period the region generally saw between 7 and 10 inches of rain with some locations reporting as much as 18 inches. In the post-World War II era it has become the rainfall benchmark for this area.
Landscapers such as Matt Kraynak say they are at least a full month behind schedule.
"If I hit the lottery tomorrow I would quit," said Kraynak, owner of MK Landscape Supply in Hermitage.
Mowing lawns when the ground is saturated is really a bad idea, he tells customers. "If you do that, the mowed grass piles on top of the lawn and creates a hard barrier blocking essential nutrients from getting to the grass."
He often finds himself having to explain to customers why he couldn't plant, even when it wasn't raining in June. Heavily saturated soil turns to mud, which can kill a plant. A stop in the rain doesn't mean good times are ahead for plants.
"We had a wet April and a very wet June. When the sun does come out, that will bring out the humidity and fungus that attacks plants," Kraynak explained. "Plants here aren't meant for that and the insects that will be coming out are going to be horrendous."
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