Despite the acceleration of climate change, assumptions of a stationary climate are still incorporated into the management of water resources in the U.S., with a preference towards 60-year (or longer) observation record lengths for drought characterization. Bias emerges by assuming that conditions from the early and mid-20th century are as likely to occur in today’s climate.
This basin master water control manual describes the overall water control plan for the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin. Descriptions of the basin, history of development, water control activities, and coordination with others are provided as supplemental information to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the basin water control plan. This manual provides a general reference source for ACT water control regulation. It is intended for use in day-to-day, real-time water management decision making and for training new personnel.
The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is pleased to share our 2021 Annual Report to provide insight into the many accomplishments of the program over the previous year and the opportunities that lie ahead.
This study, led by researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, assessed "potential changes in health risk from droughts during the last decade in the contiguous United States."
This study, published in WIREs Water, volume 9, issue 3, was funded by NIDIS through the FY 2022 Coping with Drought research competition.
Learn more about this research: Developing Drought Impact Models for the Intermountain West Drought Early Warning System.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Southern Region for December 2021–February 2022. Dated March 2022.
Winter 2021–2022 temperatures were near normal across western Oklahoma and western and southern Texas. In the rest of the Southern Region, average winter temperatures ran about 2°F to 4°F above normal. The northern half of Arkansas, all of Tennessee, parts of northern Mississippi, and isolated portions of Texas experienced above-normal precipitation during winter 2021–2022. Elsewhere, it was quite dry.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for December 2021–February 2022. Dated March 2022.
Above-normal temperatures were observed in mountain regions in California, Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon. Despite a wet December, high pressure-induced dry conditions during January and February created widespread below-normal conditions throughout the West.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Great Lakes Region for December 2021 - February 2022. Dated March 2022.
Winter temperatures ranged from 4°C (11°F) colder-than-normal to 1°C (2°F) warmer-than-normal. Overall, winter precipitation was 82% of average for the basin.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Gulf of Maine Region for December 2021 - February 2022. Dated March 2022.
Winter ranged from 1°C (2°F) below normal in parts of Maine to 3°C (5°F) above normal in Cape Breton, N.S. Warm winter temperatures are a concern for Nova Scotia's Christmas tree industry. Winter precipitation ranged from 75% of normal to 175% of normal.
Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for Alaska and Northwestern Canada for December 2021 - February 2022, with an outlook for April - June 2022. Dated March 2022.
From December 2021 to February 2022, most of Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia received record to near record precipitation. Winter temperatures have been mostly below normal.