The Alliance for Water Efficiency has released a new research study on municipal drought response and water demand. The report, Use and Effectiveness of Municipal Irrigation Restrictions During Drought, explores how drought response measures have been implemented and how water demand reductions have been achieved across different water suppliers in different states.

What would you say if I told you that right now, the most drought-stricken state in the United States is Alaska? Or what if I said it was the northwestern part of Washington State? Well, despite the notion that these two areas are not known for drought, they’re each experiencing one. The fact is, drought doesn’t just happen in California and the arid west; in 2016 water-rich New England was in a drought as was Hawaii, and in 2015 it was Puerto Rico.

The University of Texas-Arlington, Texas Water Development Board, and NIDIS hosted an interactive workshop on September 12-13 in Arlington, Texas, to learn how NOAA forecasts have been applied in decision-support tools for water management in different states and discuss what steps are needed to integrate NOAA forecasts in reservoir operations and water resources management in the Southern Great Plains (Texas and Oklahoma). 

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has published the second edition of the M60 manual, Drought Preparedness and Response, to help water managers facing water shortages. The manual illustrates how to employ tried-and-true strategies and tactics of drought mitigation, as well as introducing new tools and methods.