As Summer Intensifies, Large Sections Of Country Threatened By Drought
As summer weather intensifies across the country, large regions are struggling to maintain source water supplies and serve consumers with drinking water.
“Drought conditions are setting in across most of Colorado, and that has top officials worried about wildfire, crop losses and water restrictions,” The Colorado Sun reported. “Nearly 83% of Colorado is experiencing abnormally dry conditions and 33% is reporting extreme or severe drought.”
This is a stark contrast from last year, when none of the state experienced drought conditions. Local legislators are so concerned that they’ve activated the state’s drought task force.
“The task force will meet weekly and use information ranging from on-the-ground reports from farmers to satellite images, to discuss actions that could be taken to aid communities experiencing effects of the drought,” per the Sun.
Some 700 miles away, Texas is experiencing similar conditions, despite recent rain in parts of the state.
“Prior to the rains, the drought monitor indicated an emerging dryness across much of the state,” according to AgriLife Today. “Other indicators, including rainfall deficit, drought change and fire activity maps, showed Texas was moving further into drought and entering wildfire season earlier than usual.”
In fact, wildfire ignitions across the state are already creating a significant problem.
“Since June 9, Texas A&M Forest Service and local fire departments responded to 90 wildfires that burned a total of 21,692 acres,” AgriLife Today reported. “Many of the wildfires were sparked by equipment use, welding, mismanaged debris burning and roadside starts.”
Though climate change and population booms have made source-water scarcity a growing problem in much of the country, limited access to drinking water is a particularly concerning possibility this summer. Running water in homes is critical to limiting the spread of the novel coronavirus as it enables handwashing and the elimination of bacteria.
To read more about how communities across the nation address drought conditions, visit Water Online’s Source Water Scarcity Solutions Center.