AUGUSTA — Forecasters say much of Georgia, including the eastern part of the state around Augusta, is already experiencing "extreme drought" conditions.

The Augusta Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/I2MRgM) that conditions monitored by the National Drought Mitigation Center in Nebraska indicate that the drought could worsen if rain doesn't fall soon.

Historical records suggest that 2012 is shaping up to be a dry and dismal year, especially for upstate reservoirs along the Savannah River.

Records from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers show that Thurmond Lake's average pool for April - 322.2 feet above sea level - is already 5.6 feet lower than this time last year.

Lower April pools were recorded just five times in 58 years, coinciding with some of the worst droughts on record, in 1955, 1988-89, 2002 and 2008.