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The last 2 decades have been the driest the Western United States has seen in almost 1,200 years! It’s important to understand what may be happening with these drought conditions in the near future. Smart Rain is deeply concerned with water consumption, as are many of you. Let’s look at the upcoming drought predictions for 2024 and see what sort of lift may be needed. After all, water is one of our most important resources and it’s time we all worked together to conserve and protect our water.
United States Drought Forecast & Predictions in 2024
Will there be a drought in 2024?
In 2023, many areas across the West and mountain regions experienced record-breaking winters. Wyoming saw a cold, long, and snowy winter. Daily and seasonal snowfall records were broken in several locations across the West. 13 out of 15 ski resorts in Utah broke their all-time snowfall records! What does this mean for the drought conditions? Moisture in the Mountain West has been high. This hasn’t taken the Mountain West out of drought conditions completely, but it certainly has helped. Experts have said this is not the time to be complacent with our water supply but to keep working to conserve and build up water reserves.
Drought conditions for much of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and New Mexico will persist after a very hot summer. In some of the areas in these states, drought levels have become very severe. One state that is in very bleak drought conditions is Louisiana, where most of the state is considered to be in an exceptional drought and 2024 drought predictions aren't changing. The weather hasn’t helped either. Louisiana had the driest month of August that it has had since 1895. All these areas don’t seem to be improving moving and means a likely 2024 drought.
Another area to mention when it comes to drought is the Northwestern United States — Washington, Oregon, and the Northern part of Idaho. Moisture in these areas is very low. As we are coming into the 2024 drought season, it doesn’t look like these areas are going to get better. 2024 drought predictions are looking bleak for this region.
What’s Causes Drought?
For every drought, something is obviously causing the moisture to be low in these areas. Every area might have a different reason for a drought. However, some of the main causes can have some commonalities from area to area. Here are some of the things that could be causing drought conditions:
Deforestation
The process of clearing large areas of forest land for other purposes such as agriculture or urbanization has significant impacts on the hydrological cycle. Trees play a crucial role in regulating water flow by absorbing and storing rainwater through their roots. With deforestation, there is an increase in surface runoff and a decrease in groundwater recharge, leading to reduced water availability during dry periods and ultimately contributing to drought conditions.
Overgrazing
The excessive grazing of livestock on a particular area of land is called overgrazing and can also contribute to drought conditions. Grazing animals remove vegetation cover and compact soil, reducing their ability to absorb and retain moisture. This leads to increased runoff and decreased groundwater recharge, causing a decline in water availability for plants and animals during dry periods.
Excessive Irrigation
This is when farmers use too much water for agricultural purposes, and also plays a significant role in drought. Irrigation can cause waterlogging and salinization of soil, reducing its ability to hold water. This results in decreased groundwater recharge and increased surface runoff, leading to reduced water availability during dry periods and contributing to drought.
Climate Change
Climate change contributes to droughts in several ways. Firstly, rising temperatures increase the rate of evaporation, leading to drier conditions. This is particularly evident in areas prone to high temperatures and low humidity, such as deserts. The warmer atmosphere also holds more moisture, which can result in longer periods of time between rainfall events.
Secondly, changes in precipitation patterns can contribute to droughts. As the Earth's climate continues to change, some regions may experience decreased precipitation, while others may see increased rainfall. These changes can lead to a mismatch between water supply and demand, resulting in drought conditions.
Climate change can also worsen existing drought conditions by exacerbating other factors such as soil moisture deficits and groundwater depletion. This creates a feedback loop where dry conditions become even drier, making it more difficult for ecosystems and human communities to recover.
Climate change can also affect the severity of droughts by altering natural disaster patterns. For example, warmer temperatures can increase the risk of wildfires, which in turn can cause damage to vegetation and further exacerbate drought conditions.
What You Can Do?
So, what can be done to prevent or mitigate future droughts? There are several strategies that individuals, communities, and governments can implement to reduce the risk of drought conditions.
One key approach is to increase water conservation efforts. This includes simple actions such as fixing leaky faucets and using low-flow fixtures, as well as larger scale initiatives like promoting natural landscaping, which is a landscaping strategy of using low-water-use plants that are native to your area in your landscaping to conserve water. By using water more efficiently, we can reduce our overall demand for it and help ensure that there is enough to go around during times of drought.
Another important strategy is to better manage land use and agriculture. This involves practices such as reducing irrigation needs through precision farming techniques, implementing crop rotation to preserve soil moisture levels, and controlling deforestation to maintain healthy forest ecosystems that can help regulate rainfall patterns. By making smarter decisions about how we use and manage our land, we can help prevent the conditions that make droughts more likely.
It is also crucial to address the root causes of climate change itself. The burning of fossil fuels and other human activities are major contributors to global warming, which in turn leads to more frequent and severe droughts. By transitioning to cleaner, renewable energy sources and reducing our carbon footprint, we can help reduce the impacts of climate change and decrease the likelihood of future droughts.
Preventing future drought conditions will require a combination of individual actions, collective efforts, and systemic changes. It is up to all of us to take responsibility for our water usage, make sustainable choices, and advocate for larger-scale solutions to address the serious threat of drought. By working together, we can build a more resilient future in which droughts are no longer a constant concern. Let's take action now to protect our precious water resources and prevent future droughts from becoming even more severe.
As the saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Let's start taking steps towards prevention today.
