As extreme drought parches rural western Kansas, the impacts of this historically dry year hit everything from migrating birds to volunteer firefighters to the agricultural economy that sustains the region.
Some farmers take risks experimenting with new crops built for a drier climate. Others have to abandon fields of grain that never got enough rain to grow.
Small towns are forced to spend millions of dollars to get clean drinking water from dwindling underground reservoirs that are increasingly contaminated. And one community transforms its residents’ mindsets about water conservation but still faces an uncertain future as sources dry up.
As these overlapping water crises deepened, HPPR's western Kansas reporter David Condos followed the ripple effects.
From a packed cattle auction and a dry river bed to a wildfire-scorched pasture and a barren wheat field, Condos trekked hundreds of miles across the High Plains to hear from Kansans on the front lines and elevate their voices to listeners statewide.
The resulting series — “Parched" — spanned the entire year and includes 14 stories.
Here are six key pieces highlighting this coverage of ongoing drought and water issues in western Kansas throughout the year, with an expanded list of stories from the Parched series below it.
11/25/22: Here's how this year's drought has battered the Midwest — and what it might mean for next year
From deadly wildfires to choking dust storms to decimated crop harvests, this year’s drought has left its mark across the country. For the hardest hit areas, such as the Great Plains, recovering from the far-reaching impacts of this historically dry year won’t be easy.
10/10/22: This city in Kansas really conserves its water, but that still might not be enough to survive
Thanks to decades of conservation efforts, Hays has become the California of Kansas — a place where thinking about your water use is a way of life. For now, it’s an outlier. But as climate change brings drier, hotter weather to Kansas, more cities may have to follow a similar path.
2/21/22: A hotter, drier climate and dwindling water has more Kansas farmers taking a chance on cotton
Cotton growing is on the rise in Kansas, but it still only accounts for a small fraction of the state’s farm production. Now, a combination of global warming, dwindling water and new infrastructure might set the stage for southwest Kansas to become cotton country.
3/28/22: As fertilizer pollutes tap water in small towns, rural Kansans pay the price
For towns with only a few hundred residents, keeping tap water clean and safe can pose a crippling expense. The predicament is likely to become more common in western Kansas as farm chemicals seep into dwindling water supplies.
6/8/22: Western Kansas wheat crops are failing just when the world needs them most
Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted global food supplies, driving up demand and prices for wheat. But after months of drought, many western Kansas farmers won’t have a crop to sell.
12/21/22: One year after wildfires, Kansas ranchers vow to ‘get by ... somehow’
It’s been one year since drought-fueled wildfires tore across western and central Kansas. For the ranchers who lost so much, the rebuilding process is far from over.
Additional stories from HPPR's Parched series of coverage:
9/20/22: How the drought killing Kansas corn crops could make you pay more for gas and beef
12/15/22: This is the first time the Kansas Water Authority has voted to save what's left of the Ogallala
11/4/22: Up to 1 million birds count on Kansas wetlands during migration. Drought has left them high and dry
8/24/22: Here are 7 ways this dry, hot year stacks up against the worst droughts in Kansas history
4/15/22: Kansas wildfire responders brace as a dangerously dry, windy season drags on
3/31/22: How Kansas could lose billions in land values as its underground water runs dry