Third Quarter 2023 Drought Impacts Summary

Above image: Sugarcane field in Avoyelles County, Louisiana. Photo submitted via  CMOR  Aug. 18, 2023.

Agricultural losses, fire restrictions and water supply issues were concerns from July through September. Of the 464 impacts recorded in the Drought Impact Reporter during this time, Texas led with 134 impacts and Louisiana followed with 55 impacts. These reports reflected the development of extreme and exceptional drought across the two states and Mississippi during the summer months. 

Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri also recorded numerous crop and livestock impacts as a regional flash drought that developed in the spring continued through the summer. The dry conditions also lowered water levels on the Mississippi River and caused navigation problems. States in the Pacific Northwest dealt with low water levels that led to reduced hydropower and irrigation curtailments.

Although May rains improved conditions in Texas, dry weather and intense heat returned in June and July. Crops suffered as hot, dry winds evaporated soil moisture and slowed pasture growth ( AgriLife Today ). By mid-August, many pastures in the Houston area were dry with little to no vegetation, forcing ranchers to provide hay for their cattle. Typically, producers do not need to feed hay until mid-October or November ( KHOU 11 ). Some producers sold livestock or transferred them to better pastures in other states for the winter. Area ranchers also turned to a program that offers financial support to offset costs for feed, hay and water ( Beaumont Enterprise ).

The hottest summer on record in many Texas cities, combined with intense drought, caused millions of dollars in damage to municipal pipes and the loss of large quantities of water ( The Texas Tribune ). Many cities asked residents to conserve water as crews repaired the leaks. The city of Houston has been receiving 500 calls a week about water leaks, up from 300 in early September last year. In San Antonio, the number of water main breaks averaged about 470 per month from January through June, then rose to 725 in July and 1,076 in August. 

Historic heat, drought and dry vegetation have contributed to an unprecedented wildfire season in Louisiana. More than 550 fires occurred in August alone, burning more than 60,000 acres of land and causing towns to evacuate ( The Associated Press ). The largest fire in Louisiana, the  Tiger Island Fire , has been burning in Beauregard Parish in the southwest part of the state since Aug. 22 and has consumed more than 31,000 acres. As of mid-October, the blaze was 96% contained.

The intense heat and drought may cause losses of $135 million to $290 million in the beef cattle sector in Louisiana, according to economists from LSU AgCenter ( AgFax ). Limited hay supplies have forced ranchers to sell cattle and wean calves earlier than usual. Poor hay production is expected to cost cattle producers $62 million to $108 million.

Crop losses, cattle sales and wildfires occurred in southern Mississippi as a result of worsening drought over the summer. A sale barn in Scott County broke records for cattle sales in September, with about 8,500 cattle auctioned in the first three weeks of the month ( WLBT ). Other producers began feeding their herds hay in August as opposed to November ( Mississippi Today ). Drought limited the quantity and quality of summer produce, making some produce difficult or impossible to find at farmers markets ( WLBT ). Some crops died in the fields.

Since Aug. 1, Mississippi firefighters have responded to more than 760 fires that have burned more than 14,163 acres ( WAPT Channel 16 ). The Mississippi Forestry Commission requested assistance from the South Central and Southeastern Wildland Fire Compacts, and personnel and equipment were expected from Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. National Park Service were also expected to help. 

Despite much-needed rains in early July across the Midwest, 59% of the U.S. corn crop and 53% of the soybean crop were in drought at the end of the month. Some analysts have compared current crop conditions to the 2012 drought ( AgWeb ). 

In Missouri, dried-up pastures and ponds caused many ranchers to sell their livestock. Record-breaking cattle sales continued to take place at sale barns ( KTVI FOX 2 Now )—including a sale in Calloway County that lasted more than 27 hours and sold more than 5,000 head of cattle. Some cattle producers have been feeding hay since last winter, and some corn growers have cut stunted corn early for cattle feed ( St. Louis Post-Dispatch Online ). As ponds dry up, many producers have begun to haul water to livestock ( Brownfield Ag News ).

Despite rising water levels and flooding on the upper Mississippi River earlier in the spring ( WQAD ), the river was lower in St. Louis in early July than it was at the same time last year. Barges began to reduce their tow sizes and freight loads as the shallow waterway made navigation difficult ( RFD TV ). Toward the end of July, the Army Corps of Engineers initiated a drought watch for the Mississippi River ( KTTC-TV ). Water levels continued to drop throughout September, falling to near-record levels a full month ahead of last year’s low water stages. For the second consecutive autumn, low water levels on the river were a concern and dredging efforts were underway to keep the channel deep enough for barge traffic ( USA Today ). 

The low river flows have also allowed salt water from the Gulf of Mexico to move upriver, affecting water treatment plants and drinking water supplies in southeast Louisiana. The saltwater could reach New Orleans in late October, causing water quality problems and possibly corroding the city’s pipes ( The New York Times ). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing 36 million gallons of fresh water daily to local water treatment facilities to make the water safe for treatment ( CNN ). On Sept. 27, President Biden approved a federal emergency declaration for Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes ( CNN ).

Drought and heat in the U.S. Northwest this past spring and summer lowered water supply, leading to a drop in the forecasted U.S. hydropower generation of 6% compared to last year ( U.S. Energy Information Administration ). The Northwest generated 24% less hydropower in the first half of this year alone, and officials are now projecting 19% less hydropower generation for 2023 than for 2022. 

Washington’s Department of Ecology issued a  drought advisory for the entire state  on July 5. Toward the end of the month, a drought emergency was declared for parts of 12 of the state’s 39 counties, the result of early snowmelt, very little spring rain and low streamflows. 

In Oregon, irrigation districts in the central part of the state began water curtailments in July as the natural flow in the Deschutes River dwindled ( Capital Press ). 

Waterways in northwest Montana were at or near historic lows in late July, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks asked local anglers to limit stress on native cold-water trout for the rest of the summer ( Flathead Beacon ). Full fishing closures began on July 26 for numerous rivers and streams in western Montana, and Stage I fire restrictions began on July 29 ( Montana Free Press ).