Skip to main content
Arizona Department of Water Resources Logo

Arizona Department of Water Resources

Protecting & enhancing Arizona’s water supplies for current and future generations.

Search form

  • About Us
    • ADWR Strategic Plan and Annual Reports
    • Mission - Values
    • History of the Department
    • Arizona Water Facts
    • Small Business Bill of Rights
    • Career Opportunities
  • How Do I?
    • Apply For
      • Change of Ownership
      • New Well
      • Permit
      • Statement of Claimant, Assignments, Amendments
      • Well Driller's License
      • Funding Opportunities
    • Locate
      • A Surface Water Right
      • A Well
      • Statement of Claimant
    • Get Data
      • AAWS Interactive Map
      • ADWR Dictionary
      • Interactive Maps & Data
      • Data Queries
      • ADWR Data Dashboards
      • Groundwater Levels
      • Imaged Records
      • Land Subsidence in Arizona
      • Wells 55
      • Wells Data
    • Pay For
      • Annual Report Fee
      • Invoice
    • Report
      • Complaint or Concerns
      • Water Use
      • Share or Report a Water Level - 3rd Party Water Level Data Portal
      • Report Dry Well Data
      • Civil Rights
    • Find Info On
      • Arizona Reconsultation Process
      • Conservation
      • Colorado River Shortage Preparedness
      • Drought Contingency Planning
      • Laws, Rules, & Policies
      • Public Records Request
      • Pinal Groundwater Supply Updates
      • Public Meetings
      • Public Notices
      • Water Levels
      • Wells
      • Legislative Affairs
      • Lower Hassayampa Sub-Basin Groundwater Model Report
  • ADWR News
    • ADWR News
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Archive
  • Home
  • Programs
    • Active Management Areas
    • Adjudications
    • Assured and Adequate Water Supply
    • Colorado River Management
    • Community Water Systems
    • Conservation
    • Dam Safety
    • Drought
    • Engineering
    • Floodplain Management and Flood Warning
    • Governor’s Water Policy Council
    • Hydrology
    • Irrigation Non-Expansion Area
    • Laws, Rules, & Policies
    • Legislative Affairs
    • Management Plans Work Group
    • Recharge
    • Statewide Planning
    • Rural Programs
    • Surface Water
    • Wells and Permitting
    • Water Banking Authority
    • Water Protection Fund
  • Online Services
    • Annual Water Use Report
    • Application Forms
    • Hydrology Publications (eLibrary)
    • Land Subsidence Maps
    • ADWR Live Queries and Reports
    • Recharge Long-Term Storage Credit Balance
    • Imaged Records
    • eNOI
    • Online Notice of Well Capping
    • Pump Installation Completion Report
    • Online Driller's Log
    • Online Payments
    • Change of Ownership
    • Assured & Adequate Water Supply Pending Applications
    • Water Atlas
    • Surface Water Online Notices
    • Interactive Maps
      • Assured and Adequate Water Supply Interactive Map
      • Community Water System (CWS) Interactive Map
      • Groundwater Site Inventory (GWSI)
      • Well Registry Data (55)
      • GIS Data
  • Contact Us
    • Concerns
    • Human Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Public Records Request

Drought Status

Drought Status

Drought Status

weekly Map - Drought Conditions


The Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee confers weekly to advise the U.S. Drought Monitor authors on the current drought conditions in Arizona, and makes recommendations about the position of the drought boundaries for Arizona. The U.S. Drought Monitor is the official record of drought for Federal drought relief claims. Information used by the MTC in advising the Drought Monitor authors includes numerous drought indices, precipitation and stream flow data, and impacts data. Every Thursday, the Drought Status web page automatically updates with the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map of Arizona.

 

Short-term Drought Conditions

Monthly Drought Status Summary: AUGUST 2023

August 2023 Short-term Drought Status Map

August temperatures were much above average in most counties, while Mohave, Coconino, and northern Apache and Navajo counties had near to slightly above normal temperatures. The remnants of tropical cyclone Hilary impacted western Yuma, Mohave, and Coconino counties, leaving these areas in the top 10% of August precipitation. Most of the state remained very dry, and  Maricopa and Gila counties experienced much below average August precipitation.

Severe (D2) short-term drought returned to the state (18% total), largely in central and southeastern counties. Moderate (D1) short-term drought expanded into Apache and Pinal counties, southern Navajo and Coconino counties, and portions of Pima county (29% of state), while fully removed in Yuma and La Paz counties and most of Mohave county. The rest of the state had Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions (44% of state) or no drought (9% of state).

El Nino conditions continue to mature across the tropical Pacific, and will reach at least moderate strength over the winter. However, forecasts only indicate a modest tilt in odds towards wetter than normal weather later in the winter season.

 

 

This report was prepared by the Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee on  September 13, 2023. Arizona's short-term drought status map is updated during the first week of each month.

 

Long-term Drought Conditions

Quarterly Drought Status Update: APRIL-JUNE 2023

April-June 2023 Long-term Drought Status Map

A wet winter brought improvement to Arizona’s long-term drought. Extreme (D3) long-term drought remained in small areas of Maricopa, Mohave, La Paz, Coconino, and Yuma counties, as did Moderate (D1) and Severe (D2) long-term drought. Exceptional (D4) long-term drought remained in southwestern La Paz County. Eastern and southern counties, as well as most of Gila and Pinal counties, continued without long-term drought.

El Nino conditions have now become established over the tropical Pacific, and odds are slightly tilted towards drier than normal conditions across much of the Southwest for at least the first half of the summer monsoon.

 

This report was prepared by the Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee, July 13, 2023. Arizona's long-term drought status map is updated quarterly and the next update in early September , it will reflect the conditions of  July, August and September. The long-term drought status for each watershed is determined by comparing the precipitation and streamflow percentiles for the past 24, 36, 48 and 60 months to a 40-year historical record.


Previous Drought Reports


- Any -
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007


Reports for 2014

  • December
  • November
  • October*
  • September
  • August
  • July*
  • June
  • May
  • April*
  • March
  • February
  • January*

 

*Long-term drought status reports are represented with an asterisk

CONTACT US TO RECEIVE DROUGHT STATUS UPDATES BY EMAIL

waves.png

Waves icon
  • Overview
  • Drought Status
  • Drought Dashboard
  • Monitoring Technical Committee
  • Interagency Coordinating Group
  • Local Drought Impact Groups
  • Arizona Drought Planning
  • Drought Preparedness Plan & Annual Reports
  • Drought FAQs
  • Drought Resources

 

telephone-icon.png

Telephone icon
  • [email protected]
  • (602) 771-0244

 

Follow Us

Contact Info

Arizona Department of Water Resources
1110 W Washington Street Suite 310
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Find in Google Maps
Phone: 602.771.8500 | Fax: 602.771.8689
File a complaint

Newsletter Subscription

Sign up to get breaking news and information about Arizona’s water industry!

Lists*

© 1980 - 2023 Arizona Department of Water Resources - Statements & Policies | Site Map