Main Menu

Quick and Dirty Fact Sheet on Drought

"Drought is a condition of moisture deficit sufficient to have an adverse effect on vegetation, animals, and man over a sizeable area."
(Warwick, R.A., 1975, Drought hazard in the United States: A research assessment: Boulder, Colorado, University of Colorado, Institute of Behavioral Science, Monograph no. NSF/RA/E-75/004, 199 p.)

What is a drought? Have you ever seen a stream or river in the spring, flowing full of water and life and then come back to see it all dried up in the heat of the summer? Have you ever seen a cornfield in July or August that looks shriveled and dry? Sometimes when we have a long period without much rain, these things can happen. That is a drought. The United States Geological Survey has some interesting and more complete definitions of drought at: http://md.water.usgs.gov/drought/define.html.

Since all living things need water to survive, drought can have devastating effects on animals and plants. When animals can't find water in their usual places they may have to move outside of their normal range or congregate with other species (like at watering holes on the African Plain.) Where do fish and aquatic insects go if there is no water in their stream? What do farmers do when there isn't enough water for their crops to survive? For more information on environmental impacts of drought go to the National Drought Mitigation Center's site at: http://enso.unl.edu/ndmc/impacts/effects.htm.

This year in Virginia there is a federally declared drought. That means the federal government will give the state money to help recover from the disaster. The National Drought Mitigation Center reports that all of Virginia's climatic divisions are in a moderate to extreme drought. According to the Virginia Weekly Crop and Weather Report the state's topsoil is 67% short of moisture and 55% of the corn crop in Virginia is considered very poor or poor. For more information on Virginia's crops and weather go to the United States Department of Agriculture's site at: http://www.nass.usda.gov/weather/cpcurr/va-crop-weather.

Of all the water on earth only .003% is available fresh water that is not polluted, trapped in soil, or too far under ground. During a drought, shared sources of water such as reservoirs, rivers and groundwater for wells are in jeopardy of running dry. On average, 30% of water in streams comes from groundwater (water running in underground streams and aquifers). However, in times of drought, groundwater may be the only source for streams. (For more information on groundwater go to the Ground Water Protection Steering Committee web site and click on Frequently Asked Questions.) In drought conditions, water sources may not be adequate for local residents' normal use. Think of all the things you use water for. When you go to the faucet for a drink, take a shower or bath, flush the toilet, wash the dishes or water the lawn you are using water from a reservoir, river or well. Some municipalities respond to water shortages by putting water use restrictions on residents. That means residents may not be allowed to water their lawns or gardens under penalty of fine. There are many ways you can help conserve water - even not in times of drought. For more information on water conservation, try this site: http://www.waterwiser.org.

There have been four major droughts in Virginia since the early 1900's. They were recorded in 1930-32, 1938-42, 1962-71, and 1980-82. The drought of 1930-32 was one of the most severe droughts ever recorded in the state. The 1962-71 drought was the longest. This year's levels haven't dipped to the lowest flows ever recorded yet but we could set new record minimums throughout the state later this year. Learn more about the history of droughts in Virginia at USGS's site: http://va.water.usgs.gov/GLOBAL/histcond.htm.

To teach about an issue, you need to know the basic facts about it. Quick and Dirty Fact Sheets were created by the Environmental Education Fellow Project to give teachers a quick background on waste management issues. They are written to give a basic understanding of the issue and do not include all information available on the topic. For in depth study of one of these issues, we suggest you check out the many materials available at your local library or contact the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality at (804) 698-4442.