Drought

Frisco officials implemented mandatory water use restrictions amid a strain on the area's water infrastructure due to low creek flows. The current restriction level is 'Phase 2,' which is considered to be a precautionary level of restrictions, not an emergency. In restaurants, customers must request water to reduce waste. The aim of these restrictions is to reduce strain on the town's water pumps during low creek flow, as well as to protect creek habitat. Drinking water supplies and water used for fire protection were not presently at risk. Out There Colorado (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Aug 19, 2025

Governor Tina Kotek made drought declarations for Coos and Wheeler counties on Tuesday, August 19 and directed state agencies to coordinate and expedite assistance for the counties. Including Coos and Wheeler counties, Gov. Kotek has declared a drought emergency in seven counties this year. KTVZ-TV NewsChannel 21 (Bend, Ore.), Aug 19, 2025

The hot dry conditions have led farmers to move hoses frequently in an effort to irrigate all of their crops. Another farmer had a well dug to provide water for his dairy cows, but the well produces just four gallons of water per day unfortunately. News Center Maine (Portland, Maine), Aug 19, 2025

A joint water ban has taken effect for Narragansett and South Kingstown as the southern half of the state was abnormally dry. WLNE-TV ABC 6 (Providence, R.I.), Aug 19, 2025

Water customers in Suffolk County were urged to use less water because storage tanks were falling to dangerously low levels at times. Peak demand has reached 520,000 gallons per minute multiple times during the summer, which is nearing the system’s limits, according to the Suffolk County Water Authority. SCWA customers were in a Stage 1 water alert that began on July 23. On August 12, SCWA urged its water customers to stop all lawn watering until further notice. Newsday (New York), Aug 12, 2025

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer has officially ended the state’s drought watch, nearly 10 months after it was first declared in response to widespread dry conditions and below-average rainfall in 2024. Delaware Live (Dover, Del.), Aug 19, 2025 Delaware was in a drought watch after Gov. John Carney made the announcement on Oct. 25. Delawareans were urged to limit their outdoor water use as the state has not received significant rain in weeks. Residents and non-farm businesses were also asked to voluntarily curb non-essential water use. Fire danger remained a concern. WDEL-AM (Wilmington, Delaware), Oct 25, 2024

Feral horses near Bitter Springs were rounded up as they had insufficient water. Older residents were seen on August 9 digging trenches in Tanner Wash for the livestock after a nearby watering point went dry. Navajo Times (Navajo, Ariz.),Aug 15, 2025

Plants like blueberries and other fruits have dried up or were dying due to drought. Maine farmers have had to choose how to use short water supplies, which crops to irrigate and which to let die. Potato growers in Aroostook County were said to be irrigating their crop nonstop during a stage of critical growth. Farms lacking irrigation for their potatoes were losing the crop. A vegetable grower in Harpswell in Cumberland County was watering strategically and allowing some plants to die rather than stress her well and cause it to run dry. WGAN-AM (South Portland, Maine), Aug 16, 2025 An Aroostook County gardener was hauling water from a river to part of her garden but allowed some plants to die. Bangor Daily News (Maine), Aug 16, 2025

Tree leaves in Colorado’s High Country and lower elevations were turning color weeks early due to drought when they would typically reach their zenith in mid to late September. 9News (Denver, Colo.), Aug 18, 2025

Late summer dry conditions have led to burn bans in Independence, Cleburne, Fulton, Izard, Sharp and White counties. All outdoor burning was discouraged. White River Now (Batesville, Ark.), Aug 18, 2025

A cannabis grower in South Hero noted that the hot, dry days have lessened the need to prune the crop and the plants were growing faster. While the farm does have irrigation, rainfall was the main source of moisture for the plants. Some strains of cannabis appeared to be stressed for lack of water. WPTZ NBC5 Burlington (Vt.), Aug 15, 2025

A Cumberland County farmer has run his irrigation system almost daily since mid-July, which is a large additional expense while the yield was looking to be smaller than usual. Irrigating is also a lot of extra work for the farmer. WMTW-TV ABC 8 (Portland, Maine), Aug 14, 2025

A Yakima County dairy farmer was concerned about irrigation water as the Roza Irrigation District was providing just 42% of a full allotment in 2025. Snow melted quickly in the spring. The farmer opted to leave about a third of his land unplanted due to the lack of water. Consequently, he has to purchase more feed for his cattle. Area reservoirs were near record lows. KREM-TV CBS 2 (Spokane, Wash.), Aug 14, 2025

After 16 days of 90-degree temperatures in the greater Grand Rapids area, a lawn and landscaping business in Holland has reported that business was slow due to the weather. In Holland, precipitation this summer has amounted to 2.98 inches, which is less than one-third of normal. Some lawns have not needed weekly mowing and can be mowed every other week. FOX 17 (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Aug 17, 2025

Blueberries grown in Holland were smaller and sweeter this year after an extremely hot, dry summer. Another factor in the smaller berry crop was that after the cool, dry spring, pollination was off as the bees stayed in their hives for more than a week. WZZM-TV Grand Rapids 13 (Mich.), Aug 12, 2025

Water customers in Portsmouth were urged to adopt “water use efficiency measures” as little rain has fallen since May. The ongoing hot, dry conditions have driven up water use by about 5% above the July average. The public was asked to curb outdoor watering and voluntarily restrict outdoor water use between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. Seacoast Online (Portsmouth, N.H.), Aug 15, 2025

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday, august 14 issued a broad emergency declaration due to multiple wildfires burning on the Western Slope and the risk of new fires as dangerous weather conditions were expected to persist in coming weeks. The order authorized the Colorado National Guard to assist in fire suppression efforts when requested by the state Department of Public Safety. It also directed additional state funds to replenish the Wildfire Emergency Response Fund, which reimburses local agencies for early firefighting efforts and was nearly depleted by the active 2025 fire season. Colorado Newsline (Denver), Aug 15, 2025

The Maine Forest Service has temporarily suspended issuing any new burn permits to reduce the risk from escaped burns. The state’s online system has been shut down until conditions improve, and local Town Wardens were encouraged to withhold written burn permits until conditions improve. Boothbay Register (Maine), Aug 15, 2025

Officials in Essex County, New York issued a local state of emergency due to persistent dry conditions and a spate of grass fires in the area. The state of emergency took effect on Tuesday, August 12 and will continue through Thursday, September 11. During the state of emergency, a burn ban was in effect countywide to prevent fires from starting. The burn ban supersedes all burning permits and will last until Aug. 17 at noon. WPTZ NBC5 Burlington (Vt.), Aug 13, 2025

Some corn in Guadalupe County reached two to three feet in height before drying up and dying in the intense May heat. Some of the later planted corn was expected to have low yields. Texas Farm Bureau (Waco, Texas), Aug 15, 2025