Good morning!
I’m Lacy McKay.
Today in civil rights history in 1890, white Republican Marsh Cook was assassinated in Mississippi for opposing a constitutional convention aimed at restoring white supremacy and disenfranchising Black voters.
It's Water Wednesdays on KSJD’s Outdoor Report.
New research published in Water Resources Research sheds light on how land-surface conditions shaped the devastating drought that gripped the western U.S. in 2020 and 2021.
While ocean and atmospheric patterns like La Niña are well-known drought drivers, scientists found that the soil's moisture levels played a crucial role in how the drought unfolded.
Wet soils helped buffer against drought impacts—sometimes delaying or even preventing soil droughts.
But when soils were already dry, the drought intensified faster and lasted longer.
Even after rains returned, dry soils kept drought conditions alive for months.
The study also found that drought-weakened vegetation slowed water loss from the ground, slightly easing soil dryness.
The findings suggest that as the West grows drier and vegetation shifts due to climate change, future droughts may hit harder, come on faster, and stick around longer—making land-surface monitoring vital for accurate seasonal forecasts.
That’s the KSJD Outdoor Report for today.
And remember, water is life here in the Four Corners.
