How to Reduce the Risk of Water Shortages Threatening Your Cannabis Crops

Water shortages and restrictions are hurting farmers across the country, including cannabis growers. More than 50% of the United States is in a drought right now, and drought conditions are affecting 232.3 million acres of crops across the country according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. At least 43 states are experiencing a moderate drought or worse as of the week of August 3, 2022, which is affecting more than 125 million people.

NOAA’s official drought monitor map below shows which parts of the U.S. are most affected by current drought conditions. The redder and darker the color, the worse the drought is in that area.

Source: Climate.gov

Unfortunately, there are a lot of dark orange and red colors on the drought map, and conditions are likely to get worse before they get better.

Water Shortages Lead to Extreme Restrictions in the Southwest

To “avoid a catastrophic collapse” of the Colorado River, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that Tier 2 water restrictions will take place in January 2023 along the Colorado River. This is the first time Tier 2 water restrictions have ever been implemented, and they come one year after Tier 1 restrictions were put in place. Those restrictions were announced in August 2021 and began in January 2022. At the time, Tier 1 restrictions were unprecedented.

To put these restrictions into perspective, the combined effect of Tier 1 and Tier 2 restrictions equates to water supply cuts of 21% for Arizona, 8% for Nevada, and 7% for Mexico.

Considering that 70% of water from the Colorado River goes to irrigation, these restrictions are likely to have a significant impact on farmers as well as agricultural product availability (including cannabis) and the prices consumers have to pay for those products.

The Water Shortage Problem Extends Beyond the Southwest

Looking at the current U.S. drought map above, water shortage problems extend far beyond the southwest. Severe drought conditions exist right now well to the east of the Rocky Mountains and north of the Mason Dixon Line, and extreme drought conditions are a problem in parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The point is drought conditions have been a problem in the United States for a very long time, but in recent years, the problem has grown and spread. No single part of the country is at risk and no part is safe. Take a look at the U.S. drought map below, which shows drought conditions from exactly one year prior to the map shown above. Notice anything interesting?

Source: Climate.gov

While some areas that are experiencing severe, extreme, or exceptional droughts in August 2022 faced similar problems a year ago, the areas of dark orange and reds have changed quite a bit. Again, no state and no farmer is immune from the threat of water shortages and restrictions.

The Impacts of Water Shortages to Farmers, Cannabis Cultivators, and Consumers

Farmers in California, Texas, Oregon, New Mexico, and beyond are taking extreme steps in order to survive during current droughts. Many farmers are killing their own crops and selling livestock because of extreme drought according to a CNN report. In Arizona, some farmers predict the additional federally-mandated water restrictions being imposed on them will cause consumer prices to increase by at least 6-7% as well as employee layoffs.

In the cannabis industry, where prices have been falling in many parts of the country, farmers cannot afford the increased expenses that come with water restrictions or paying more to access the water they need (e.g., obtaining water from an owned well that requires additional expenses, such as electricity, to operate).

How to Reduce the Risks of Water Shortages and Protect Your Crops and Business

Since there are no signs that droughts will disappear and never return, cannabis cultivators need to take steps to secure their crops and their businesses by mitigating the risks that water shortages create.

A crucial step you can take to protect your crops and business from the far-reaching effects of water shortages is to use the right soil. For example, bio365’s soil is more water efficient than other soils, which means you’ll use less water when your plants grow in bio365 grow media.

The reason bio365 soil is measurably more water efficient than other soils is because the media is engineered to hold water in a series of nano-, micro-, meso-, and macro-level pores. These pores are anchored by our patented and proprietary biochar, bioCORE, which stores water (as well as nutrients and beneficial biology) in the biological and carbon matrix keeping it available for the plant to tap into on demand (even between feedings) rather than evaporating into the surrounding environment.

Typically, cannabis cultivators who grow in bio365 soil can use less water and grow healthier, higher quality plants with higher yields while saving time and money, which is crucial to mitigate the risks and losses that can come with water shortages.

Click here to learn more about bioCORE and how it helps your crops and business.

Another important step you can take to reduce the impact that water shortages and restrictions could have on your crops and business is to ensure you’re not overwatering your plants. The soil experts at bio365 recommend using a tensiometer to measure the amount of accessible water in your plants, so you get the most reliable measurement as well as better cannabis plant health and yields.

Click here to learn more about using a tensiometer.

Need help reducing the risks of water shortages to protect your crops and business? Contact us, and we can help you choose the right soil to minimize the impacts to your crops and your business.