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Updated SD Drought Tool: Drought Planning Made Easier

Jun 20, 2016
By Pete Bauman
SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist SDSU Natural Resource Management Department

Figure 1. South Dakota PDSI, January-December.

Drought is an ever-present threat to grazing operations throughout South Dakota and always seems like it is ‘just around the corner.’ The reality here in South Dakota is that we’ve experienced some level of drought conditions in 43 of the last 120 years according the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Long and short-term drought conditions can be unpredictable. Take for instance the current situation in the Black Hills region. According to South Dakota State Climatologist Dennis Todey, “what started out as a reasonably good April turned into the driest May on record for the Newell and Sturgis Regions. Coupled with freezing temps in May, growing conditions are now challenging in that Region”.

Severe drought is indicated in a portion of the Central Black Hills region at this time, but the Black Hills aren’t the only area of the state facing some level of drought conditions. In fact, the latest US Drought Monitor report for South Dakota indicates abnormally dry conditions for much of Western S.D. as well as for extreme Northeast S.D. As shown in Figure 2., the US Drought Monitor employs a 5-category system for drought ranging from D0-Abnormally Dry to D4-Exceptional Drought. Visit the US Drought Monitor - South Dakota page for more information. 

Figure 2. SD Drought Monitor for June 7, 2016.

Drought Planning For Your Ranch
 
There are several excellent resources for monitoring drought status for rangelands. NRCS State Range Management Specialist Stan Boltz manages the tools for drought, grazing, and prescribed fire planning for NRCS in SD. As part of that service, NRCS posts growing conditions status maps throughout the rangeland growing season, giving both indications of current status and projected peak production projections to assist producers in planning for forage resource allocation. As indicated in the example maps below for June and July 2016, NRCS predicts that overall forage production is likely to be near normal for much of the state, with the exceptions being portions of the Northeast and several pockets in the West, where dry conditions may result in pasture production being only about 80-85% of normal. Producers in those Regions are advised to plan ahead for rangeland forage shortages that may manifest in mid-to-late summer.
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