Fall foliage season a dud?

BOWLING GREEN, Ky-Now that temperatures are finally dropping there’s a certain eye-grabbing event that happens every fall that’s all around us and is free…fall foliage. Well, almost every fall.

Part of the color-changing process depends on healthy trees and leaves. And healthy trees and leaves depend, in part, on getting enough water. With much of south central Kentucky in a drought, that means the water part of the equation for healthy plants is automatically running at a deficit. And the result? According to Chad Singer, a tour guide with Lost River Cave, many leaves have simply turned brown instead of displaying their normal vibrant shades of color.

And the impact of those brown leaves? Daniel Taylor, the lead park ranger at Barren River Lake State Resort park says tourism has been down at the lake compared to previous fall seasons.

And even with recent the recent rainfall, much of the leaf development and maturity cycle has already been impacted in a negative way, which means the time for leaves to turn to those vibrant colors is slipping away.

But is the whole fall season lost for leaf-lovers? Singer says he’s seen some trees scattered through the area showing their typical fall color. Depending on where you look, you may have a chance at seeing a few colorful leaves, especially in areas that may have received a stray shower or two more than most  communities.

Maybe it’s a scavenger hunt worth doing.