North Dakota Faces Extreme Drought And Wildfires This Spring And Summer
By Leah|Published May 11, 2021
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Leah
Author
Leah moved to North Dakota when she was 12 years old and has traveled from the Red River Valley to the badlands and many places in between. She loves small-town life and currently enjoys living on a small farm in the ND prairie. She's always had a passion for writing and has participated in novel writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo multiple times. Her favorite part about this job is recognizing small businesses that deserve a boost and seeing the positive affect her articles can have on their traffic, especially in rural areas that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
Even if you aren’t a farmer being heavily affected by it, the severe drought in North Dakota is hard to ignore. With little moisture and not much in terms of rain over the prairie, most of the state has officially been put under the label of “extreme drought conditions.” As a result, burn bans are in effect and it’s important that we all do our part to minimize the chance of more wildfires happening. Here’s everything we currently know about the drought, and what you should keep an eye on especially if you plan on camping, grilling, or similar this summer.
In 2021, North Dakota has already seen multiple wildfires and the extreme drought conditions persist.
Notable wildfires include the wildfire near Medora, North Dakota. As of late April 2021, it is reported that over 45,000 acres have burned in multiple wildfires, most in southwest North Dakota.
This graphic from the United State's official drought information website shows just how much of the state is currently under an extreme drought. The red areas are "extreme," while the orange is "severe," tan is "moderate," and yellow is "abnormally dry."
You can visit North Dakota's official Burn Ban Restrictions & Fire Danger Map page to see what counties are under burn bans and how strict. Any county under high fire danger disallows open burning, and any counties under very high fire danger also ban recreational fires and fireworks.
The drought conditions are affecting farmers and ranchers.
North Dakota's main industry is agriculture, and extreme drought conditions are only put in place when crops aren't growing and pastures are dormant due to low moisture levels in the soil. Emergency measures such as haying of conservation areas may be put into effect.
Some rain or snow is predicted to come across various parts of North Dakota over the next couple of months, but whether or not it will be enough to return moisture levels back to normal, we have yet to know.
For now, keep an eye on the drought conditions and burn bans with the links provided. If you plan on going camping, having a bonfire, or similar, make sure to check your county's most up-to-date information, use safe practices even if fires are allowed, and avoid having fires in areas with dry brush or on gusty days.
Another thing to watch out for this summer is blue-green algae blooms in lakes. They tend to bloom in hot, sunny weather and can be toxic to people and animals if ingested. For any sort of recreation, make sure you are prepared for anything and keep up-to-date with local information.
While the drought may mean no lively campfires or fireworks, you can still enjoy many of North Dakota’s state parks through trails and other fun activities.
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