How can we mitigate drought

Many cities have programs to help people buy these new water-saving devices. Check with your city to find out if they have these programs. Remember, saving water also means saving money. Farmers and businesses are also using new inventions to help them reduce the amount of water they use to grow crops or manufacture things. New sprinkler irrigation systems can reduce water use by spraying the water out with less force so more gets to the plant and less evaporates or blows away.

If you have a garden or if your parents water your lawn, many similar devices are available for use around the home too.

Another great way that you can reduce the amount of water used around your house is through xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is a type of landscaping that uses little water by only using plants that are native to the area you live in. Native plants usually need less water to grow or can make better use of the water that is available to them than other types of grasses, trees, and shrubs. People who do this type of landscaping also find creative ways to use rocks or other types of ground covers in their yards or even in front of their businesses.

The keys to xeriscaping are to use only as much water as the plants need and to choose landscaping designs and plants that make use of the available rainfall.

Xeriscaping is very common in drier places like Arizona, New Mexico, and even Utah, but it is catching on all across the United States and many parts of the world. You can learn more from your local extension service or landscaping or nursery businesses in your towns. Businesses, cities, and people are finding new ways to save water by reusing it. Many businesses have started recycling water that they use in their manufacturing process.

Instead of letting water run down the drain, the water is collected, cleaned if needed and run back through the system. Water parks like Denver Water World are recycling the splash water into other areas of the water park.

Protecting the quality of water we have available is another extremely important step in reducing our risk from drought. We may do enough to conserve the quantity of water available to us by reducing how much water we use. Polluted water will also harm plants and wildlife in our environment. Chemicals that we use in our houses or on our lawns and crops are very common pollutants.

Other pollutants that can easily end up in our water are oil and gas from our cars and chemicals from businesses and mining. These pollutants get into the water supply through runoff, spills, and applying or using more chemicals than we really need. We have many laws to protect our water supplies from chemicals used in businesses, mining, and farming, but very few if any laws to protect our water from the chemicals we use in our houses and cars and on our yards.

Only use what you need, and only when you need it. You can also find different cleaners that are nontoxic and safer for you and our water. You can use different methods, such as composting, to fertilize the plants in your yard. You can learn more about ways to prevent pollution by using the links in our resources. Your city, extension service, or state department of environmental quality may also have information about preventing pollution. Understanding where your water comes from will help you understand what you can do to mitigate the effects of drought.

Your water supply might be from surface waters water on the surface of the earth, like rivers or from groundwater water that is under the surface of the earth. Conserving water is the best way for us to make sure that we all have water even when we are in drought. Many people rely on rain or snow that flows into rivers for their water. When we have a drought, we might not have enough rain or snow to keep enough water in the river for all the people who need the water.

To make sure that they have enough water throughout the year, people build dams to store water when they need it. These first methods are ways that can store or move or produce relatively large amounts of water, and can sometimes encourage development of populations that would not otherwise be supported in some areas even during periods of normal rainfall. Construction of water pipelines or canals to bring in water from areas where there is a surplus of water.

This has been a done in much of the the American West, most notably Arizona and California. Desalinization of sea water. Advances in technology over the years have made it easier to separate fresh water from the dissolved salts and minerals in sea water.

Other ways to mitigate droughts include some common agricultural practices that are in use for both soil and water conservation. The guide can also help communities identify their drought monitoring resources, so they can spot emerging drought. A planning section helps communities determine steps they can take to reduce their drought risk ahead of time. It also recommends planning responses to drought before the next one happens.

Shafer, M. Provides links to resources and information on best practices in drought planning in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada.

Wilhite, Donald A. Hayes, and Cody L. Wilhite, ed. A step planning process that has been adapted for use by cities, tribes, states, and countries around the world, and that has benefited from continuous refinement. Provides information on Arizona's drought status, drought planning, water supplies, and up-to-date policies and declarations by the governor and various impact groups and committees.

Hayes, and M. Phoenix, City of. Alvord, M. Crimmins, M. Hiza Redsteer, C. McNutt, M. Svoboda, and R. Tucson, Ariz. California Department of Water Resources. A guidebook to help water suppliers cope with potentially severe drought and other water shortages. It provides specific examples of community supply augmentation and demand reduction strategies.

These include: public information campaigns, landscape irrigation schedules, water restrictions and ordinances for waste water, landscaping , modified water pricing, and tips for enforcement. Demand reduction measures by customer category residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, etc. The guidebook stresses that successful programs are the result of a cooperative effort between water suppliers and customers. California Department of Water Resources et al.

The city's website uses a four-tiered, color-coded scale for communicating drought conditions to the public. Colorado Water Conservation Board. A comprehensive overview of drought management planning in Colorado. These documents in conjunction with the Drought Toolbox and other drought related information on CWCB's website, serve as reference tools that water providers and local governments throughout the state may use to develop local drought management plans.

The Colorado Drought Mitigation and Response Plan was developed to provide an effective and systematic means for the State of Colorado to reduce the impacts of water shortages over the short or long term.

The plan outlines a mechanism for coordinated drought monitoring, impact assessment, response to emergency drought problems, and mitigation of long-term drought impacts. Boulder Drought Plan. Denver Water. Drought Response Plan. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, et al. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Georgia, State of. Hecht, J. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Water.

Division of Water. Indiana's Water Shortage Plan. Kansas Water Office. Governor's Drought Response Team. Governor's Drought Task Force.

Las Vegas Zoning Code. Chapter Oregon Environmental Council. Water Resources Board. Drought Management Plan. Texas Water Development Board www. TWDB's mission is to ensure that Texas is prepared for drought, not only by overseeing and maintaining a state water plan, but also through financing a significant portion of water and wastewater infrastructure for the state, including the matching funds for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.

San Antonio, City of. Drought Operations Plan www. We help utilities implement the correct program to meet their current needs. We meet with utilities and provide comprehensive solutions for wherever they are in their water management plan. Together, we devise the best plan to maximize water conservation and management efforts. One of the largest and most comprehensive engineering and surveying firms in the U. Through this partnership, you will continue to receive the same high-quality, innovative water asset management and data analysis services you have come to depend on and trust.

A few tips for the consumer: 1.