Little rainfall during this year’s warm, dry summer left Seldovia and Nanwalek scrambling to conserve water.

It’s official: the Kenai Peninsula is in a moderate drought. After months of warm weather and little rain, the United States Drought Monitor designated the region abnormally dry. The drought is creating a crisis for farmers who are having to water their crops more often while at the same time their wells are drying up. There are roughly 260 farms on the peninsula.

“Smoke concentrations will be such that they could impact public health at times, according to an advisory issued by the state Division of Air Quality.

It’s not dangerous at this point to drive on the Sterling Highway, though smoke may reduce visibility.