ALBUQUERQUE – Drought is tightening its grip across a wide swath of the American Southwest as farmers, ranchers and water managers throughout the region brace for what’s expected to be more warm and dry weather through the spring.
The federal drought map released Thursday shows dry conditions intensifying across northern New Mexico and into southwestern Arizona.
On the southern high plains, Oklahoma is ground zero right now for the worst drought conditions in the United States.
Federal agriculture officials say crop conditions in some areas are declining. In New Mexico, about three-quarters of the winter wheat crop is in poor to very poor condition as meaningful moisture has been scarce.
Along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, the irrigation allotment will be less than half of what farmers received last year.
Drought help
What:
An Agriculture Disaster Training and Emergency Planning program is scheduled for Wednesday, April 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Dolores County Public Service Center, 8477 Road 7.7 in Dove Creek.
The program includes information on drought planning, fire mitigation, livestock transport accidents, animal ID and disease related to disasters and FEMA training on livestock evacuation.
Register:
By April 4.
Details:
gus.westerman@colostate.edu.
