Thirsty Livestock Farmers Get Help

It's been one of the driest years ever in the Tennessee Valley. Some of the hardest hit are livestock farmers dependent on water for animals. Tuesday night, those in Hamilton County get help from an unlikely source: local firefighters. This comes after county mayor Claude Ramsey last week asked local fire departments to transport water from rivers and lakes to these farms. Tuesday evening was the first run. Two volunteer fire departments, Dallas Bay and Highway 58, pumped water from the Chickamauga Lake and delivered it to nearby farms. "The farms and ponds I've seen are either completely dry or so low the stagnant water is unhealthy for the livestock," said Ray Burden, Hamilton County extension agent for the University of Tennessee.

Burden expects the service to run for at least the next few weeks or until we get some rain.

In the meantime, other fire departments throughout the county will also chip in.

If you are a farmer and need water for your livestock, just call the Hamilton County ag agency at (423) 855-6113.