THUNDER rumbles in the distance and lightning flashes as Bruce Greet watches yet another storm roll past his Flagstone Creek farm.

It's been months since the cattle farmer has had a decent rainfall on his property.

If it doesn't rain soon, Mr Greer will be forced to start hand feeding his cattle.

The Lockyer Valley is running low on water.

Dams across the region are dry and water access to bores is decreasing.

Yet the Valley isn't drought declared.

"We really are in a drought," Mr Greer said.

"Unless you're one of the lucky ones that gets one of those storms, so be it."

The Lockyer Valley was drought declared, but revoked on April 30, 2015 on the advice from the Local Drought Committee.

And it's possible the region won't be considered in a drought until after the summer rainfall period, in late April.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, it's the seasonal conditions, which include rainfall, availability of pasture and water, extent of drought movements of stock and quantity of fodder which can declare a shire in a drought.

As of June, 84% of Queensland was drought- declared.

"Normally this time of the year I've got grass up around my waist," Mr Greer said.

"I've never had to hand feed the cattle ever since I've been here and I've got the same amount of head."

The paddocks and water supply are the worst Mr Greer has seen at his farm and all the dams are dry.

Luckily, he has bores to water the cattle.

"The cattle are all coming back down to the water troughs now," he said.

"They've tried at the dams and got mud up to their bellies. I would have been de-stocking two years ago if I didn't have the bores."

Since moving to his farm, Mr Greer has kept a rainfall chart, but seen the yearly totals decline from 2013 (920mm) to today (538mm)

Luckily, the price of cattle is up, allowing him to de-stock. "I sold 26 weaners at Laidley, normally I'd be keeping them until February or March, but I thought it wasn't looking good," he said.

While graziers are feeling the pinch, crop and produce farmers are feeling the strain of water restrictions.

Lockyer Valley Growers Association president Anthony Staatz said those with access to groundwater would be "ok" for another year.

"Those farmers that don't (have groundwater) should be drought-declared and would be finding it very hard," Mr Staatz said."It's different for everybody... there's so much variety in people's capability to get water, and storage of water."

However, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a 70 to 80% chance of below- average rainfall across most of eastern Australia, farmers could be in trouble.

Landholders who believe they are experiencing drought conditions can apply for an Individually Droughted Property declaration.