House passes California drought relief bill despite Administration veto threat

On July 16, the House passed the Western Waters and American Food Security Act of 2015 (H.R. 2898), largely along party lines. The bill addresses drought by laying the groundwork for new water storage projects in California and loosens environmental restrictions in the state.

Visualization of drought in California

The U.S. Geological Survey provides a website of visualizations that show how California's extreme drought in the early-mid 2010s progressed through the early-mid part of the decade and then was relieved with significant rain and snowfall in 2016-2017. Visualizations of the extent and severity of drought, change in reservoir volumes, and streamflow compared to historic rates are all available on the website, which you scroll through to see different features.

Click here to see the visualization of California's drought

House bill addresses water infrastructure and drought mitigation in California and the West

On June 25, Representative David Valadao (R-CA) introduced H.R. 2898, entitled the “Western Water and American Food Security Act,” in an effort mitigate the impacts of the drought in California and other Western states.

Senate Committee assesses drought conditions in 11 Western States

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on June 2 to assess drought conditions and water challenges in the western United States.

Bureau of Reclamation sends $50 million to water-starved Western states for water conservation

The Department of the Interior announced on May 20 that $50 million from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART grants will be sent to 12 drought-stricken states for water reclamation and reuse facilities, recycling and desalination programs, and water and energy infrastructure and efficiency initiatives.

Interactive drought risk map for the United States

National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC)

DOI distributes $50 million for Western drought response

On February 6, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced that $50 million allocated by Congress for Western drought relief will be used by the Bureau of Reclamation, water districts, and other water users to increase efficiency and conserve water in drought-stricken areas.

Interactive map of New Jersey's geology and natural resources

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's GeoWeb Map Viewer provides a large amount of information on New Jersey's geology, natural resources, and environmental management in interactive map form, including:

Interactive map of drought conditions across the United States

The U.S. Geological Survey's WaterWatch program maps below-normal 7-day average streamflow, identified through comparison to historical streamflow readings, to produce their DroughtWatch map. The map identifies drought conditions ranging from extreme hydrological droughts to below normal streamflow conditions across the entire U.S.

Click here to use the DroughtWatch interactive map

Source: U.S. Geological Survey WaterWatch

Where can I find up-to-date information about drought conditions in my region?

National Integrated Drought Information System: U.S. Drought Monitor

"The U.S. Drought Monitor is a map released every Thursday, showing parts of the U.S. that are in drought. The map uses five classifications: abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4).

American Geosciences Institute

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