# Presentation: 580686

## 2005-2006 Drought in OklahomaComparing the Impact on Streamflow with Some Major Droughts in the 20th Centuryby Robert L. Tortorelli

**Annual Interagency Water Resource Meeting**
**Southwest Division**
**March 27, 2007**
**Ft Worth, Texas**

## Introduction

**	****  ****Some Headlines from Daily Oklahoman****1****:**
**  ****May 23, 2006****	****“Ag officials, growers saving their hopes for a ****        rainy day; forecast looks bleak” **
**  ****July 2, 2006****	****“How DRY can it get”**
**  ****August 26, 2006****      ****“Receding shoreline threatens fish”**** **
**  ****September 3, 2006**
**	****	****“****Drought continues to wither state”**** **

** ****1****Daily Oklahoman published by the Oklahoma Publishing Co.**

## Slide 3

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 4

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 5

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 6

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 7

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 8

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 9

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 10

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 11

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 12

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 13

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 14

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 15

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 16

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 17

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 18

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 19

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 20

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 21

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 22

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 23

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 24

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 25

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 26

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Slide 27

**Notes:**
Southern Oklahoma very bad – Agricultural and Hydrologic Drought

## Introduction (cont)

**	****How DRY is it?**
**   ****The severity of the ****2005-2006 ****hydrologic drought**** in Oklahoma ****can be evaluated by comparing streamflow of the present hydrologic drought with 4 documented droughts ****in the 20th Century.**** **

- Courtesy of Daniel Fenner USFWS

**Canadian River DS I-44**
**      ****August 11, 2006 **

## Sequence of Drought Impacts

** ****Meteorological Drought**
** ****Agricultural Drought**
** ****Hydrologic Drought**
** ****Impacts**
**Economic**
**Social**
**Environmental     **
**                                ****National Drought Mitigation Center**

**Notes:**
Meteorologic Drought 1) Precip deficiency, 2) high temp, 3) reduced infiltration, runoff, recharge, 4)increased evap
Agricultural drought 1) Soil water deficiency, plant water stress
Hydrologic drought reduced streamflow, inflow to lakes, reduced wetlands

## Hydrologic Drought

**     ****Hydrological drought is associated with the effects of periods of precipitation shortfalls ****on surface or subsurface water supply with reduced: **
**	**** ****streamflow**
**     ****reservoir and lake levels**
**     ****ground water**
**                                          ****National Drought Mitigation Center**

## Four Major Hydrologic Droughts in the 20th Century for Oklahoma

**          ****Water Years:**
**	**** ****1929-41**
**      ****1952-56 **
**      ****1961-72**
**      ****1976-81**

## Oklahoma Runoff Departure from Normal

- Source: http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/?m=statesum&r=ok

**Notes:**
Note 1) that although 99 years record 1903-2006 1) several gaps and 2) few gages prior to 1924
        2) As pointed out by several researchers such as Dr Garbrecth at ARS – had a very wet 20 years 1982-2001

## Statewide for 82 years of recordHow 2006 ranks with the 4 major hydrologic droughts 

**2006 ****                             6th Rank**** **
**  **
**1929-41**** **
** ****Lowest year 1940   1st Rank    **
**1952-56**
**      ****Lowest year 1953   2nd Rank  **
**1961-72**** **
**Lowest year 1964    4th Rank  **
**1976-81**
**      ****Lowest year 1981   7th Rank    **

**Notes:**
Some isolated dry years prior to 1924 and some drought periods have several low ranking dry years

## Some Long-Term Index Stations in the Arkansas River Basin

** ****Illinois River at Tahlequah  1936-2006**** **
** ****Cimarron River at Ripley  1940-2006**
** ****North Canadian R. at Wetumka  1938-2006**
** ****Canadian River at Calvin  1939-2006**
** ****Cimarron River near Waynoka  1938-2006**

## Some Long-Term Index Stations in the Red River Basin

** ****Salt Fork Red R. at Mangum  1938-2006**
** ****Washita River near Dickson  1929-2006**
** ****Blue River near Blue  1937-2006**

## Location 8 Index Sites

## Illinois River near Tahlequah

## Illinois River near Tahlequah How 2006 ranks with the 4 major hydrologic droughts 

**     ****2006****                    8****th Rank    31% normal**
**   **
**1929-41**** **
**Lowest year 1940   6th Rank    30% normal**
**1952-56**
**     ****Lowest year 1954   1st Rank     21% normal**
**1961-72**** **
**Lowest year 1964   3rd Rank    26% normal**
**1976-81**
**     ****Lowest year 1981    5th Rank    30% normal**

## Cimarron River near Ripley

**Cimarron River near Ripley**
**         ****August 11, 2006**

- Courtesy of Jim Norvell USGS

## Cimarron River near Ripley How 2006 ranks with the 4 major hydrologic droughts 

**     ****2006 ****                  ****12th Rank   37% normal**
**   **
**1929-41**** **
**Lowest year 1940   4th Rank    23% normal**
**1952-56**
**     ****Lowest year 1953    1st Rank    17% normal**
**1961-72**** **
**Lowest year 1971   2nd Rank    22% normal**
**1976-81**
**     ****Lowest year 1981   11th Rank    34% normal**

## N. Canadian River near Wetumka

## N. Canadian River at Wetumka How 2006 ranks with the 4 major hydrologic droughts 

**     ****2006****                    ****4th Rank    26% normal**
**   **
**1929-41**** **
**Lowest year 1940   2nd Rank   23% normal**
**1952-56**
**     ****Lowest year 1956    1st Rank    23% normal**
**1961-72**** **
**Lowest year 1963   3rd Rank    24% normal**
**1976-81**
**     ****Lowest year 1981    5th Rank    26% normal**

## Canadian River at Calvin

**Canadian River DS State Hwy 99 near Ada**
**                 ****August 16, 2006**

- Courtesy of Daniel Fenner FWS

## Canadian River at Calvin How 2006 ranks with the 4 major hydrologic droughts 

**     ****2006****                   ****2nd Rank    14% normal**** **
**   **
**1929-41**** **
**Lowest year 1940   8th Rank    35% normal**
**1952-56**
**     ****Lowest year 1956   6th Rank     29% normal**
**1961-72**** **
**Lowest year 1966   3rd Rank    16% normal**
**1976-81**
**     ****Lowest year 1981    1st Rank    13% normal**

**Cimarron River near Waynoka**

**Cimarron River near Waynoka**
**         ****August 9, 2006**

- Courtesy of Marty Phillips USGS

## Cimarron River near Waynoka How 2006 ranks with the 4 major hydrologic droughts 

**     ****2006 ****                  ****10th Rank    42% normal**
**   **
**1929-41**** **
**Lowest year 1939   26th Rank    75% normal**
**1952-56**
**     ****Lowest year 1956     5th Rank     23% normal**
**1961-72**** **
**Lowest year 1971    4th Rank     19% normal**
**1976-81**
**     ****Lowest year 1977   17th Rank     58% normal**

## Salt Fork Red River near Mangum

## Salt Fork Red River at Mangum How 2006 ranks with the 4 major hydrologic droughts 

**     ****2006****                    ****3rd Rank    20% normal**
**   **
**1929-41**** **
**Lowest year 1940    1st Rank     17% normal**
**1952-56**
**     ****Lowest year 1952    4th Rank      24% normal**
**1961-72**** **
**Lowest year 1971   2nd Rank     17% normal**
**1976-81**
**     ****Lowest year 1981    5th Rank      32% normal**

## Washita River near Dickson

## Washita River near Dickson How 2006 ranks with the 4 major hydrologic droughts 

**     ****2006****                    ****2nd Rank    27% normal**
**   **
**1929-41**** **
**Lowest year 1939    3rd Rank    27% normal**
**1952-56**
**     ****Lowest year 1956    5th Rank     31% normal**
**1961-72**** **
**Lowest year 1964    1st Rank     24% normal**
**1976-81**
**     ****Lowest year 1981    7th Rank     35% normal**

## Blue  River near Blue

## Blue River near Blue How 2006 ranks with the 4 major hydrologic droughts 

**     ****2006****                    ****5th Rank    31% normal**
**   **
**1929-41**** **
**Lowest year 1939   2nd Rank    17% normal**
**1952-56**
**     ****Lowest year 1956    1st Rank     12% normal**
**1961-72**** **
**Lowest year 1964   9th Rank     45% normal**
**1976-81**
**     ****Lowest year 1980    4th Rank     31% normal**

## Summary The Water Year 2006 Hydrologic Drought

**Range is 1****st**** to 15****th**** driest year at ****   long-term stations of about 70 years**
**Range is only 14% to 46% of normal**
**More severe in southern part **
**        ****Arkansas River basin (Central Oklahoma)**
**More severe in Red River basin****    (Southern Oklahoma)**

## Thank You

**Arthur Rothstein 1936 Library of Congress**

**Cimarron County , Okla.**