So what are the overall implications for future drought in the Great Plains? We must first realize that the “natural” system has been in an anomalous wet period, and while we cannot be certain, most likely the tendency would be to return to the dry conditions that have so dominated the past 2,000 years. Human activities are also likely to make things worse, as global warming reduces snowpack in the Rockies and at least the western Plains become drier. The impact of human agricultural activities is less clear and rests largely on the extent to which large-scale irrigation stays the same or changes to cover either a larger or smaller areal extent.
In conclusion, while hoping for the best, I also have to realize that drought is a ubiquitous feature of the Great Plains and is likely to get worse, not lessen, as the century progresses.
Would you like to comment?
Join Diigo for a free account, or sign in if you are already a member.