Arizona among states in grip of drought
By Jim Carlton | The Wall Street Journal
any Western reservoirs are full, and downpours have triggered floods and deadly mudslides in parts of California. But all that water isn’t enough to save the West from another drought.
Most of the region has slipped back into the drought conditions that have plagued it on and off for the past two decades—alarming water managers across several states. The dry conditions are fueling wildfires, threatening agriculture and hurting ski resorts.
Drought already grips parts of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Southern California, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
If reservoirs slip too low, governors can declare a drought emergency, as California Gov. Jerry Brown did in 2014 to impose rules such as mandatory water cutbacks on cities. So far, though, statewide declarations haven’t been made, although some are being made at the local level.
Eleven Western states, plus Texas, are abnormally dry or experiencing some level of drought, according to the latest readings from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“It’s really like someone turned the tap off,” said Royce Fontenot, a National Weather Service senior hydrologist in Albuquerque, where there hasn’t yet been measurable snow. Snowfall can typically be measured by Nov. 29, according to historic averages.
