Ninety-percent of the U.S. West is under official drought designation. Last week, many more states added counties or their whole state to their request for official drought emergency status from the federal government, including Colorado, Montana and South Dakota.
Wildfires: Wildfires in the Western region of the U.S. are at a 10-year high, according to national statistics. Since January, more than a million acres have burned; the biggest area of concern is the high desert Great Basin region in Utah, Nevada and eastern Oregon.
Fires in California are concentrated in the North, Coastal and Southeastern regions; the northern fires are the worst, burning over 35,000 acres, but are largely contained or under control. Both the fires and higher temperatures are putting an increased load on an already-strained electrical grid. The fires are also forcing wildlife, such as bears and rattlesnakes, into urban areas in search of food.
Water Supplies: The drought, and low run-off in every river basin is dramatic. In California, the run-off is 70% below average from the Sierra Madres. At Lake Oroville, the water level is so low that for the first time ever, the turbines can’t run, and the power will go offline. The Mississippi River is officially at the “low flow” stage.
The Hoover Dam reservoir has fallen to a record low. On average, it generates 4 billion kilowatts of hydroelectric power, supplying up to 1.3 million people in Arizona, California and Nevada. Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the U.S., and is a crucial water supply for about 25 million people, including in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego and Tucson. Its water levels have fallen over 140 feet.
