Farmer struggles to hydrate cattle in 'dry, dry, dry' southwest Nova Scotia

Dry conditionsin southwestern Nova Scotia have people worried about livestock and fish.

In Yarmouth County, whereponds are almost empty,farmers are delivering water to their animals. That'ssomething Trevor Perry has never had to do.

"We're just trying to keep them hydrated," the farmer said.

Much of southwestern Nova Scotia is struggling with drought conditions, likePerry ison Forest Hill Farm inChebogue, N.S., a community a few kilometres south of Yarmouth.

• Rainy fall needed or dryconditions could worsen this winter

Brown, coarse grass

Perry has several small pastures for his herd of beef cattlebut, due to the extremely dry conditions, the pasture's grass is not growing. It's brown and coarse.

Combine that with ponds that have no water in them, and the animals have had a stressful summer.

Perry trucked in two large plastic containers into two pastures Wednesday morning.

"Each of these containers is about 1,000 litres, so in total we've got 2,000 litres of water," he said.

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Bathtubs instead of ponds

The water was dumped into an old bath tub in one pasture.

A large bull was the first to get a good drink. Cows and young calves followed.

"I never would have dreamed we would have this happen, especially here at this end of the province," Perry said.

"It's just dry, dry, dry, and I've never seen anything like it before."

Winter worries

Perry got the water from the municipal water supply just northeast of Yarmouth.

The pond he usually uses to water his cattle for the winter is also almost dry.

He said he's now worrying he may have to bring in water for a long time, unless rain starts replenishing the ponds on the farm.

• How some people are coping with dry weather and wellsin southwestern Nova Scotia

Oxygen low in shallow water

The shallow rivers and streams are putting fishin big trouble, as well, according toMike McNeil, asupervisor at the McGowan Lake Fish Hatchery near KejimkujikNational Park.

The shallow water also means warmer temperatures and less oxygen, he said.

"If there isn't any flow to replenishoxygen levels in those pools, then [the fish] are stressed, stressed to themax," McNeil said.

So far, McNeil does not know of any fish mortalities in southwestern Nova Scotia.

If some significant rain doesn't fall soon and water levels beginto rise back up to normal levels, that could change, he said.