Day: July 23, 2026

#Drought news July 23, 2026: USBR is reporting (July 19) #LakePowell at 22% full, #LakeMead at 27% full, both the lowest on record for last 30 years

Click on a thumbnail below to view a gallery of drought data from the US Drought Monitor website.

US Drought Monitor map July 21, 2026.
High Plains Drought Monitor map July 21, 2026.
West Drought Monitor map July 21, 2026.
Colorado Drought Monitor map July 21, 2026.

Click the link to go to the US Drought Monitor website. Here’s an excerpt:

This Week’s Drought Summary

This U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) week saw degradations across the areas of the Plains, Upper Midwest, and Florida, while rainfall during the past week led to improvements in drought-affected areas of the South, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. In the West, a mix of improvements and degradations occurred on the map with improvements across areas of Idaho and Montana in response to above-normal rainfall during the past 30-day period. Conversely, areas of eastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming saw degradation in response to dry conditions and excessive heat and elevated evaporative demand. Likewise, hot and dry conditions prevailed across the central and northern Plains leading to expansion and intensification of drought, with temperatures ranging from 2 to 10+ °F above normal and reports of poor rangeland conditions. In the South, another round of heavy rainfall in the Hill Country of Texas led to continued improvement in the long-term drought situation as well as severe flash flooding, with widespread rainfall accumulations ranging from 5 to 10 inches and isolated areas receiving totals in excess of 15 inches during the past week. In the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, isolated shower activity led to improvements in drought-affected areas of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Mid-Atlantic states. Similarly, isolated areas of the Northeast received heavy rainfall accumulations ranging from 2 to 5+ inches, leading to improvements in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

In terms of reservoir storage in the West, California’s reservoirs continue to be at or above historical averages for the date (July 21), with the state’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, at 110% and 100% of average, respectively. In the Southwest, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is reporting (July 19) Lake Powell at 22% full (34% of average for the date; lowest on record for the date in the last 30 years), Lake Mead at 27% full (45% of average for the date; lowest on record for the date in the last 30 years), and the total Colorado River system (July 19) at 33% of capacity (compared to 39% of capacity the same time last year)…

High Plains

On this week’s map, drought-related conditions deteriorated across the region including in the Dakotas and Nebraska with reports of rapidly deteriorating conditions. The recent anomalously hot temperatures and deteriorating drought-related conditions led to the South Dakota Governor issuing a drought emergency executive order last week. In terms of drought impacts, the National Drought Mitigation Center’s Condition Monitoring Observer Report (CMOR) drought impacts reporting system is showing numerous impact reports across the Dakotas during the past 30 days. For the week, average temperatures were 4 to 10+ °F above normal across the Dakotas and Nebraska. Looking at climatological rankings for the past 30-day period, several locations logged near-record dryness including Omaha, NE (3rd driest on record; -3.16 inches); Grand Island, NE (5th driest; -3.05 inches); and Rapid City NWS Weather Forecast Office, SD (5th driest; -1.48 inches)…

West

On the map, drought-related conditions continued to deteriorate in areas of eastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming, and portions of southern Idaho, while improvements were made in central and northern Idaho and Montana where short-term conditions (past 30 days) improved. In the Southwest, monsoonal thunderstorms delivered much-needed moisture to isolated areas of the Four Corners states and eastern Nevada, while dry conditions prevailed across the western Great Basin and Pacific states. In the Colorado River Basin, Lake Powell is 22% full, while Lake Mead is 27% full, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Other reservoirs in the region are experiencing low levels including at Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico (2% of capacity) and Blue Mesa Reservoir in southwestern Colorado (32% full). Looking at climatological conditions for the past month, record or near-record precipitation was observed at the following locations: Nogales, AZ (3rd wettest; +2.43 inch departure from normal); Wilcox, AZ (7th wettest; +2.03 inches); and Flagstaff Airport, AZ (10th wettest; +1.76 inches); Great Falls, MT (wettest on record; +2.29 inches); Glasgow Airport, MT (3rd wettest; +2.88 inches); and Challis Airport, ID (wettest on record; +1.8 inches)…

South

On this week’s map, improvements were made in drought-affected areas of Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee. In terms of precipitation during the past week, moderate to heavy rainfall accumulations (ranging from 5 to 15+ inches) were observed in the Hill Country of Texas bringing much-needed relief to the long-term drought situation and low reservoir levels. However, the torrential rains also led to severe and dangerous flash flooding across areas of the region. Looking at the reservoir situation, Water Data for Texas (July 22) reports statewide reservoirs at 78% full, with eastern reservoirs in good condition while numerous western and southern reservoirs remain below normal. In Tennessee, precipitation during the past 30-day period was above-normal across much of the western part of the state, leading to improvements on the map. Looking at climatological rankings for the past 30-days, record to near-record precipitation was observed in areas of the region, including in Junction, TX (2nd wettest on record; +5.44 inch departure), San Angelo, TX (9th wettest; +2.49 inches), Del Rio, TX (3rd wettest; +5.86 inches) and Shreveport Airport, LA (wettest; +8.36 inches). Average temperatures for the week were above normal across most of the region (1 to 5 °F)…

Looking Ahead

The NWS Weather Prediction Center 7-Day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast calls for the heaviest precipitation accumulations across portions of the Mid-Atlantic states, where precipitation accumulations generally ranging from 2 to 7+ inches are expected, with the highest amounts primarily across the coastal plains of southern Virginia and the Carolinas. Across areas of the interior Southeast, including northern portions of and Georgia as well as eastern Tennessee, precipitation accumulations generally ranging from 1 to 3+ inches are expected. In isolated areas of the Northeast, and central Plains, precipitation accumulations generally ranging from 1 to 2 inches are expected. In Texas, light to moderate accumulations (2 to 4 inches) are expected in areas of the South Texas Plains. In the West, the higher elevations of areas of the central and southern Rockies and portions of the Southwest, including the Mogollon Rim of Arizona, localized precipitation accumulations of 1 to 2+ inches are expected.

The NWS 6–10-Day Temperature Outlook (valid July 27–31, 2026) favors above-normal temperatures across most of the contiguous United States, with the highest probabilities centered across much of California, Great Basin, central and southern Rockies, Plains states, Texas, and western portions of the Midwest. Above-normal temperatures are also favored across much of the South and Southeast regions. Conversely, below-normal temperatures are favored in the Pacific Northwest in western Washington, much of the Northeast, and Alaska, while near-normal temperatures are expected across portions of the Mid-Atlantic.

The NWS 6–10-Day Precipitation Outlook favors above-normal precipitation across areas of the Pacific Northwest (Washington), portions of the Southwest and central Rockies, and along the Eastern Seaboard from Florida to Maine. Below-normal precipitation is favored across eastern portions of the central and southern Plains, Texas, South, and Midwest.

Drought Monitor one week change map ending July 21, 2026.

Depleted aquifers in Baja may curtail tomato & berry exports to the U.S.

A customer selecting ripe tomatoes from a market stall, surrounded by various green and red produce in wooden crates.
Photograph of fresh tomatos in Mexico, provided by Storyblocks

By Robert Marcos

The excessive pumping of aquifers in the San Quintín Valley in Baja California is threatening the long-term reliability of tomato and berry exports to the United States. Because the freshwater aquifers sit near the ocean, the overpumping has resulted with an intrusion of saltwater.

Groundwater in the San Quintín Valley, Baja California, is critically overexploited and heavily contaminated by saltwater intrusion. Pumping rates exceed natural recharge by millions of cubic meters annually, causing declining water tables and rendering underground sources too brackish for normal agricultural use or human consumption. 1

The San Quintin Valley faces one of Mexico’s most acute water crises. Located in an arid area in the northwestern region of the country, the valley lacks freshwater bodies and is structurally disconnected from other regional supply sources. To meet the water demand in the region, water is drawn from local underground aquifers, which have been subjected to increasing pressure due to overpumping and prolonged drought conditions. Current underground sources are insufficient and do not have the required water quality. The Colorado River is the region’s only other potential source of water, but it is 167 miles away and its viability is in question. 2

In 2024, the Mexican National Water Commission (CONAGUA) published three technical studies confirming the overexploitation of the four aquifers in the SQV—San Simon, San Quintin, Camalu and Vicente Guerrero—by a volume of 68.5 million cubic meters per year, jeopardizing the long-term viability of these sources. The groundwater has high levels of total dissolved solids, ranging between 1,540 and 11,000 parts per million (ppm), which is between 1.5 and 11 times higher than the maximum limit of 1,000 ppm established by Official Mexican Standard NOM-127-SSA1-2021 for water intended for human consumption. It is important to note that, due to insufficient water distribution infrastructure, low population density and overexploitation of the aquifers in the SQV, the local water utility, Comisión Estatal de Servicios Públicos de Ensenada (CESPE), is only able to supply potable water intermittently to 56% of the population through the distribution system, while the rest of the community relies on hauled water for their supply. This sporadic service increases the risk of cross-contamination within the pipelines due to backflows and leaks, as well as through the water storage methods used by residents, further compromising the safety of the water
available for human consumption.3

Desalination considerations

A public desalination plant would provide a reliable source of clean, affordable drinking water to over 110,000 residents in San Quintín, drastically improving public health and daily life by reducing reliance on expensive, privately trucked water tankers (pipas). Because local groundwater wells are heavily contaminated with saltwater and unsafe for domestic use, this plant would bypass the degraded aquifers to deliver potable tap water directly to homes through a new macro-distribution pipeline network. 4

However, implementing desalination in San Quintín faces several steep hurdles:

  • Power Grid Limitations: The regional Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) power grid lacks the high-voltage capacity required to run a large-scale desalination facility, necessitating massive energy infrastructure upgrades before the plant can operate.
  • Brine Disposal: Safely discharging the highly concentrated leftover saltwater (brine) back into the ocean requires careful management to prevent destroying the fragile marine ecosystems and local fisheries. 
  • High Operational Costs: Desalination is an energy-intensive process, making the final tap water expensive to produce and requiring long-term government subsidies to keep it affordable for low-income residents. 
  • Financing and Bureaucracy: The project has historically suffered from prolonged political shifts, contractual re-negotiations, and delays in securing international development bank funding.