Extension Spotlight

There is no hiding that the final days of summer has brought more grueling temperatures and limited rain. And, along with these patterns, comes more concern about the current drought in Colorado. As conditions get worse, concerns from farmers and livestock producers grow. Wildfires move through the mountains and spread across ranches, water levels in reservoirs drop, crops continue to struggle and securing forages for cattle become more difficult. These pains are felt throughout the state and keep many farmers, ranchers, and researchers wide-awake at night.

The study of drought is much more difficult than one would think. Because, unlike other weather events where there are measurable effects, drought is simply the absence of water. For example, when analyzing hurricanes, scientists look for wind speeds, rain accumulations and the path of travel to determine the severity of the storm. These scientists can use math to determine how bad a hurricane was. However, with a drought, scientists are just trying to determine how much water is not present.

When measuring drought, scientists use information from different sources to determine an accurate measurement. Each of the many sources tells scientists more about soil moisture and forecasted precipitation along with impacts on vegetation and crops. The U.S. Drought Monitor focuses on the water levels in streams, reservoirs and ground water tables as well as the impact on crops. The categories of drought from low to high severity are Abnormally Dry, Moderate Drought, Severe Drought, Extreme Drought and Exceptional Drought.

The status in Colorado is troubling to all. One-hundred percent of Colorado is in a drought State, ranging from Abnormally Dry to Extreme Drought. As of Aug. 18, 1.24 percent of the State is Abnormally Dry, 26.07 percent is in Moderate Drought, 45.38 percent is in Severe Drought and 27.31 percent is in Extreme Drought. These conditions have worsened in the last week with land moving into worse drought categories than weeks before. The more serious the drought conditions are, the more moisture it will take to make conditions better.

Even in the Abnormally Dry State, hay production and rangeland quality begin to lower and irrigation timing for crops begins to speed up. When looking at Moderate Drought, we start to see an increased opportunity for fires and greater loss of some prairie species, such as pheasant. Dryland crops will also grow weary and produce lower yields. Greater effects on land and agricultural operations can be seen in lands that are in Severe Drought. Ranchers are forced to make decisions about selling cattle and farmers might decide to reduce the number of acres that are planted. The threat of fires and low surface waters also gets worse.

When looking at land that is in Extreme Drought, we see many things affected. Recreation that involves water such as fishing, rafting and hunting are more difficult or even impossible because of the water shortage. And landscapes and pastures throughout the area turn brown and grasses and even trees die. But insect populations will grow and feed upon any plants that they can find. Exceptional Drought is by far the most severe drought category where dust storms are frequent and large economic losses are seen across all of agriculture.

Although there are no solutions to ending a drought, it is important for everyone, farmers, ranchers and community members alike, to wisely use the water that is available. Everything from smartly watering grass at home to finding alternatives to grazing cattle can determine how much the drought impacts the area. It is also important to monitor the conditions within your area as summer stretches on. The U.S. Drought Monitor from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln is a great resource to utilize to see what drought conditions look like across the country and in the State. The National Center of Environmental Information also has great information about drought. And for questions about land and resource management, Colorado State University has great articles to inform farmers and ranchers of their options during drought.