Dreadful Drought

In drier areas of the United States without a lot of natural rivers and streams, farmers find efficient irrigation options to channel water to the crops through ditches and sprinkler systems. Farmers also adopt dryland farming so crops can grow with minimal water. Dryland farming techniques include:
 

• Widening the space between plants
• Minimizing tilling of land
• Controlling weeds so the weeds don’t take the soil moisture from the plants
• Choosing drought resistant plants that grow well in dry climates

 
Now, it’s up to you to find ways for Cloverville and the Last Holdout Farm to conserve water. The next steps of the activity will walk you through the worksheet and timeline where you can make your plan.Did you know? The healthier your soil is, the better you will fare in a drought. Healthy soil has better water retention and allows farmers to grow more crops with less water irrigation. Improve your soil by planting diverse crops together, adding organic matter, avoiding tilling, and encouraging the growth of microorganisms.

2. Use the Water Usage Worksheet to help the citizens of Cloverville decide what amounts of water should be given to each water use category. This will help the local townspeople to prioritize how they use their limited water. Will they prefer to keep the parks green, or choose to give more water to the farm that grows food for the community? Your choices will help the townspeople plan for their water use.
    
   You can also use the timeline template to help the town set short-term and long-term goals for saving water.Did you know?Taking shorter showers only goes so far. In areas with desert climates, homeowners are encouraged to water their lawns less frequently, or even convert their yards into turf to avoid watering. In Utah, one sprinkler cycle uses an average of 3,000 gallons of water for a quarter of an acre. By reducing how often homeowners need to water the lawn, communities can save thousands of gallons of water.
3. Using markers, add your drought strategies on the map of the town and for the Last Holdout Farm. Maybe the town will plant some water wise plants or replace grass with xeriscaping! Or, you could help Farmer Bastian by designing a dryland farming plan for his crops. It is up to you to decide on the best solutions.Did you know? Not all plants are created equal. Some plants are much better at surviving droughts because they are adapted to low-water climates. Cacti are one such plant. Other crops can also be adapted for low-water areas, grown with a strategy called “dry farming” which doesn’t rely on any irrigation water at all!

Bonus Activity (Optional)
Think outside the box! Create your own drought adaptation strategy that could be used in your home and neighborhood. If your community has already been affected by drought, you may find that your ideas are already being used! Learn how your entire community contributed to making changes to improve drought conditions.Did you know? Farmer Bastian was a real farmer. David Bastian and his father, Elmer, used dryland farming techniques for over 75 years in the Salt Lake Valley. Shortly before he passed away, Farmer Bastian and his sisters, Emily and Mary, donated some of their farmland to create a 4-H Agricultural Center so that kids and adults could continue to learn about agriculture, science and natural resources.