water

Record-setting lack of rain in 2022 transformed parts of western Kansas into a temporary desert. And it'll take a while for the region's fields, towns and mindsets to recover.

Heavy rain and snow could provide a boost to the Colorado River, where the nation's largest reservoirs are shrinking due to 23 years of drought and steady demand. But climate scientists warn that it will take more than one wet winter to end the drought.

Water committee members are still taking in information about the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer, sedimentation crisis at the state’s reservoirs, and poor water quality in some areas of the state.

In short, no. According to state law, a landlord cannot shut off utilities without agreement from the tenant unless there is an emergency, repair or construction.

The Upper Colorado River Commission – comprised of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico – is set to announce details of an extended “System Conservation Pilot Program” through which water users could be paid to cut back on their use.

For the first time, the state board voted Wednesday to say that Kansas shouldn’t pump the Ogallala aquifer dry to support crop irrigation. The underground water source has seen dramatic declines in recent decades.

Rural communities face compounding reasons they can’t improve their water infrastructure, including inflation and a lack of human resources.

There are few staff to monitor Nebraska’s vast swaths of farmland, thousands of cattle feedlots, large hog operations and chicken farms. And the agencies’ own regulations don’t give the staff many tools to combat malpractice.

The boil water notice affected millions of Texans and led to a two-day shutdown of area schools and disrupted local business. Water experts say the incident should direct cities to look at their own water containment equipment and consider possible upgrades.

Think of this year’s drought as a sort of dress rehearsal to consider the drier, hotter future that scientists predict climate change has in store. Long-lasting droughts could alter the way we live.