Drought

Many counties in East Texas needed rain. A few areas in Houston and Marion counties received some rainfall. Subsoil and topsoil conditions were adequate. Hay production slowed due to lack of rain. Pasture and rangeland conditions were fair to good. Livestock were in fair to good condition. Cattle markets remained strong despite decreasing inventories. Producers battled armyworm infestations. Feral hog damage continued. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Aug 12, 2025

High temperatures persisted in the Coastal Bend, with scattered showers early in the week bringing 0.5-1.5 inches to some areas. Soil moisture levels remained low in most locations despite localized rainfall. Corn and sorghum harvests were nearly complete, with the remaining sorghum acres planted after failed cotton. Yields for both crops were above average, particularly on the earliest-planted acreage. Cotton harvest was nearing completion with above-average yields. Dry weather aided harvest, and gin yards were filling with cotton bales. Pasture conditions were mostly fair to poor and continued to decline under heat, wind and lack of rain. Grass from earlier rains was still plentiful but losing nutritional value. Mealybug infestations were impacting livestock forages. Livestock remained in good condition, with some producers selling older cows and marketing lighter calves at strong prices. Hay yields were good, and declining grazing conditions increased the likelihood of supplemental feeding soon. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Aug 12, 2025

The level of Canyon Lake peaked on August 6 at 892.71 feet, the highest since August 2023, but the lake level has begun to fall again. Some boat ramps had reopened, but have had to close again. San Antonio Express-News (Texas), Aug 13, 2025

A little more than a month after the torrential rainfall and historic flooding in the Hill Country, lake levels have started dropping again. The Edwards Aquifer Authority tightened pumping restrictions from Stage 3 to Stage 4 as groundwater levels receded. Permit holders like the San Antonio Water System must use 40% less water from the aquifer. The J-17 index well, measuring the aquifer in Bexar County, was 628 feet above mean sea level on Wednesday, August 13, with a 10-day rolling average of 629.5 feet. Stage 4 restrictions are triggered when the 10-day average falls below 630 feet. The historical average this time of year is 657 feet. Precipitation boosted the aquifer level in early July, but most of the rain that swelled the Guadalupe River did not recharge the aquifer. San Antonio Express-News (Texas), Aug 13, 2025

The Maine Forest Service reports there have been 89 fires that have blackened 46.4 acres in August. High temperatures and dry conditions have created dangerous conditions conducive to wildfires across the state. Fire crews and forest rangers have increased staffing with additional rangers and part-time firefighters and available equipment to be prepared to fight the fires. WCSH TV 6 (Portland, Maine), Aug 13, 2025

Residents of Sammamish were urged to conserve water as drought persisted. The city noted that conserving water meant that less water needed to be drawn from area rivers, bays and other sources. Hoodline Seattle (Wash.), Aug 13, 2025

The South Berwick Water District issued a water emergency declaration banning outdoor water use and encouraging water conservation indoors. Below normal rainfall over the long term and high temperatures have strained water resources. The water district noted that some of their supplies had not yet recovered from drought in 2022. WCSH TV 6 News Center Maine (Portland, Maine), Aug 12, 2025

Trees and bushes in the Park Township area were wilting as residents who depended on wells began to notice a drop in the water supply around July 14. Neighbors were trying to conserve and prolong their supply because it was too expensive to connect to the municipal system. WOODTV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Aug 11, 2025

Parts of the Big Island varied from being dry to being in extreme drought with some areas seeing wildfires. Those relying on water catchments were urged to monitor their supplies and not run out of water. Honolulu Star Advertiser (Hawaii), Aug 12, 2025

The Waimea, Kohala and Hamakua areas of the Big Island were in a crisis due to drought. Livestock get nearly half of their water from grazing so livestock’s need for water increases when the grass gets dry. Hamakua ranchers were out of water and were allowed to access the Waimea water system for emergency water. Cattle were short on feed, but the need for water was even more urgent. Honolulu Star Advertiser (Hawaii), Aug 12, 2025

Conditions continued to be very dry across the South Plains. Temperatures were milder following triple-digit temperatures the previous week. Farmers were irrigating to keep cotton fields going as plants sets bolls. Dryland cotton was starting to decline with no precipitation. Early summer rains have corn fields in good condition overall. Control applications for lygus and aphids were occurring as threshold levels were reached. Pastures needed rain for forage growth. Livestock were in good condition. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Aug 12, 2025

Conditions were hot and dry, and all of West Central Texas needed rain. Temperatures were in the mid-90s to 100-plus degrees daily. Topsoil moisture was declining quickly. River bottoms continued to dry and become more accessible. Producers were cleaning debris and rebuilding fences. Hay producers were cutting and baling, and yields were expected to be good, but quality may be lower due to maturity of fields. Burn bans were in effect for some counties. Sheep and goat producers were treating internal parasites due to wet July conditions. Some field preparations for fall planting of small grains was underway. All row crops showed moisture and heat stress. Cotton and grain sorghum mostly looked fair to good. Many cotton fields need moisture soon. Sorghum was maturing quickly with harvest underway in earlier planted fields. Pasture and rangeland growth slowed. Grasshoppers were becoming a problem in some pastures. Livestock were in fair to good condition, and water sources were in good shape. Cattle gains were slowing due to declining forages and heat. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Aug 12, 2025 Hot and dry conditions prevailed in most West Central Texas counties, and some burn bans were enacted. Menard County was an exception, receiving around 8 inches of rain over the past 20 days. High winds significantly impacted moisture conditions. Most wheat harvest was finished. Planted cotton was progressing but showed signs of heat and moisture stress. Corn was maturing. Early planted grain sorghum was coloring and the later-planted fields struggled in the heat. Pecan progress continued. Weeds were abundant and producers were spraying cropland. The majority of the first hay cuttings were baled, with some producers starting a second cutting. Some hay grazer was cut. Pasture forages were drying out quickly but still looked good. Cattle continued to look good. Stock tank levels were a mixed bag with some near full and others that never caught any runoff were low. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), July 1, 2025

Hot, dry conditions persisted across Far West Texas with impacts visible across agriculture. Fields have become very dry, and crops were showing stress by midday. Corn was finishing and drying down for harvest. Sorghum had mostly headed out, and diminished yields were expected. High temperatures significantly stressed the cotton crop, especially the earlier crop that was loaded with bolls or in peak bloom. Haygrazer had headed out. Healthy melon harvests continued. Pastures were drying up, and livestock were losing condition despite supplementation. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Aug 12, 2025 Hot and dry conditions were observed across Far West Texas. Temperatures were above average, especially at night, which hurt overnight crop recovery. High winds persisted, further drying out cropland and rangeland despite some shower activity moving through areas. Crop adjusters were traveling throughout the region to assess noted negative impacts on cotton, corn and sorghum. Pecans and hay crops were doing well for the time being. Melons were being harvested just ahead of schedule. Soil moisture was depleted, and pastures continued to dry out, requiring more hay and supplementation for livestock. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), July 1, 2025

The lack of rain has led Vermont farmers to buy supplemental feed as pastures were too dry for grazing. The need to supplement grazing increases farmers’ stress as the cost of production rises. WPTZ NBC5 Burlington (Vt.), Aug 12, 2025

Cranberry Township officials asked residents to voluntarily conserve water because water demand was quite high amid high temperatures and a lengthy dry spell. WPXI-TV Pittsburgh (Pa.), Aug 12, 2025

The Cape Cod region went from Level 1 – Mild Drought to a Level 2 — Significant Drought on Aug. 8. Nantucket County was at Level 1, while Dukes County on Martha’s Vineyard was still at Normal Conditions. MassLive (Springfield, Mass.), Aug 8, 2025

The Holland Board of Public Works was seeing a higher than usual demand for water, ranging from 25 to 30 million gallons daily. The public was asked to be responsible with their water use. WOODTV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Aug 8, 2025

Towns and water districts across the Lincoln County were asking customers to curb water use as drought conditions persisted. Siletz was the only city to officially adopt water restrictions, but almost every community and water district has sent or intended to send notices to water customers about the need for voluntary water conservation, apart from Depoe Bay, Waldport and Panther Creek Water District in Otis. Lincoln Chronicle (Wash.), Aug 7, 2025

Employees at a nursery in Laketown Township have been watering daily to keep the native trees and shrubs watered amid the dry conditions. WOODTV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Aug 8, 2025

Vermont farmers were worried about producing enough hay to get livestock through the winter. The dry weather may affect the quantity and quality of hay that can be grown. Even though it has been dry just a few weeks, field crops and vegetable crops looked stressed. WPTV NB5 Burlington (Vt.), Aug 7, 2025