Drought for the west

[Straight Arrow]

Montana Legislature's Environmental Quality Council (EQC) recently heard testimony from two panels addressing impacts, including drought, on Montana streams and rivers. The stream recreation panel spoke to the adverse impacts of over use by fishing and other recreation to the fisheries and waterways, including some ideas about mitigating problems. The waterway nutrients and algae panel addressed the reality of more people, less water, higher temps, and thus more nutrients and water quality issues. Fortunately these problems are getting more attention, but it's obvious that Montana and the west is way behind the curve and increased mitigation methods are needed, many of which are very, very expensive.

 

[sapperJ24]

National Drought Summary – West

“Anomalous warmth dominated the West, with nearly the much region seeing temperatures 15 to 25 degreesF above normal. Precipitation was largely absent, save for beneficial moisture in parts of Washington andMontana. This localized precipitation allowed for the reduction of severe drought (D2) in central Montana andabnormal dryness (D0) in western Washington. Elsewhere, the combination of soaring temperatures, lackingprecipitation, and declining soil moisture and streamflow data resulted in broad drought degradation.Extreme drought (D3) expanded in southern Idaho, central and northeastern Utah, and northwest NewMexico. Severe drought (D2) increased in coverage across Oregon, southern Idaho, southern Montana,southern and eastern Utah, southern and eastern Arizona, and New Mexico. Finally, abnormal dryness (D0)expanded in eastern Oregon and central and southern California.

 

[marksjeep]

Another Colorado River Basin article.
https://coloradosun.com/2026/03/27/colorado-river-states-potential-water-cuts-legal-battles/

Article has a time-lapse from the Lees Ferry gage. For anyone interested in similar imagery at USGS gaging stations link below.
https://apps.usgs.gov/hivis/

 

[hank4elk]

34 this morning and 71 now. Winds have died down. Fire smoke so thick you can't see the Apache Mtns. 4000 ac grass fire in east. Blown here.
Clouds trying to build, monsoon style. Virga.

I am trying to be positive.
If we don't get rain the gramma will die. Rain in forecast this week........monsoonal flow.
El Nino in place and strong. 3 months early.
Last week Hawaii got flooded and not a typhoon or hurricane. Monsoonal flow.
20 years ago went thru a drought similar in CA. It rained for 2 weeks at the end of March. My bro got 48 inches...monsoonal flow.

One inch gramma showing here now. Had 24 cows this morning. Fruit blossoms blown away.
Heard a rumble a while ago. Drops trying to hit the ground. Orange clouds,smokey sunset.

Come on monsoons!

 

[elkduds]

34 this morning and 71 now. Winds have died down. Fire smoke so thick you can't see the Apache Mtns. 4000 ac grass fire in east. Blown here.
Clouds trying to build, monsoon style. Virga.

I am trying to be positive.
If we don't get rain the gramma will die. Rain in forecast this week........monsoonal flow.
El Nino in place and strong. 3 months early.
Last week Hawaii got flooded and not a typhoon or hurricane. Monsoonal flow.
20 years ago went thru a drought similar in CA. It rained for 2 weeks at the end of March. My bro got 48 inches...monsoonal flow.

One inch gramma showing here now. Had 24 cows this morning. Fruit blossoms blown away.
Heard a rumble a while ago. Drops trying to hit the ground. Orange clouds,smokey sunset.

Come on monsoons!

If the July monsoons arrive in April, where will that leave us in August?

 

[hank4elk]

If the July monsoons arrive in April, where will that leave us in August?

With knee deep gramma and waist high wildflowers? 6 months of rain and a snow pack in winter?
I dunno, washed out dirt roads and floods. A mess in the midwest?

I do know the juniper are dying now in places from lack of rain and not beetles. Winds blowing dust and 105 in March in PHX is not.
Major climatic changes did erode the SW. Rains sculpted the land and not just winds.

El Nino could just flip back. Or the "Pineapple express" is on it's way.

But, El Nino is is place 3 months early and stronger than recorded history, at this time. One stage short of strongest known.
Just sayin'...