Parched
Current global drought conditions (Standard Precipitation Index)
EDITOR’S NOTE
The U.S. West is in the midst of a two-decade-long megadrought, the most extreme in at least 1,200 years. Other regions around the world are experiencing similar periods of extreme dryness. Reservoirs and snowpacks are at dangerously low levels. Hydroelectric facilities are at risk of shutting down. Cities are facing water shortages. And ecosystems are parched, raising the risk of wildfires and ecological damage. But amid all this chaos, there are also innovative solutions, policies, and technologies being tested to adapt to this drier future. Follow Grist as it delves into all aspects of drought — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
In This Series
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Salton Sea public health disaster gets a $250 million ‘shot in the arm’
The Interior Department announced new funding to restore a shrinking lake — if California saves more water.
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![Collage: dried up reservoir, cows drinking from a water trough, greenhouses with marijuana plants]()
![Collage: dried up reservoir, cows drinking from a water trough, greenhouses with marijuana plants]()
Water thieves abound in dry California. Why are they so hard to catch?
A short-staffed state agency struggles to catch rogue water users.
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![Collage: canyon hills and water reflecting the sky, with watercolor sky and an orange sun; water droplet shapes have been cut out of the water]()
![Collage: canyon hills and water reflecting the sky, with watercolor sky and an orange sun; water droplet shapes have been cut out of the water]()
Tribes in the Colorado River Basin are fighting for their water. States wish they wouldn’t.
Indigenous nations have significant water rights, but many lack the infrastructure to take advantage of them.
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![U.S. Senator Mark Kelly speaks during a campaign event with former President Barack Obama in Phoenix, Arizona.]()
![U.S. Senator Mark Kelly speaks during a campaign event with former President Barack Obama in Phoenix, Arizona.]()
Drought looms over midterm elections in the arid West
Democrats Mark Kelly and Catherine Cortez Masto fought for drought funding. They may both lose their seats.
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![Land that was once under Lake Mead re-emerges as unprecedented drought reduces Colorado River and Lake Mead to critical water levels.]()
![Land that was once under Lake Mead re-emerges as unprecedented drought reduces Colorado River and Lake Mead to critical water levels.]()
Feds to Colorado River states: Reduce water usage, or we will do it for you
The Interior Department outlined a path for unilateral cuts last week, upping the pressure on western states.
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![An aerial image shows various container ships sit in the Mississippi River, to the left is green vegetation and to the right is farm equipment]()
![An aerial image shows various container ships sit in the Mississippi River, to the left is green vegetation and to the right is farm equipment]()
As drought chokes Mississippi River, barges carrying grain shipments have nowhere to go
With no rain forecast until January, farmers are left high and dry.
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The Cochise County Groundwater Wars
A thirsty megafarm is driving a libertarian enclave in Arizona to embrace a radical solution: government regulation.
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![Collage: paperwork, half circle cutouts of water, an oil pumpjack, and a drawn river on top]()
![Collage: paperwork, half circle cutouts of water, an oil pumpjack, and a drawn river on top]()
How a Utah utility is helping an Estonian oil company hoard Colorado River water
$10 for 3.2 billion gallons of water? A loophole in Utah law could enable the country’s first commercial oil mining operation.
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![two people look up at a brown tree during the drought]()
![two people look up at a brown tree during the drought]()
Cities want more trees. Drought is complicating their efforts.
As water resources dwindle, Western communities are investing in new ways to ensure young trees survive.
