Producers Encouraged to Report Local Drought Conditions

By Scout Nelson

North Dakota producers are encouraged to help improve drought monitoring by submitting local reports on weather and field conditions throughout the growing season. State officials say these reports provide valuable information that supports drought monitoring and helps guide agricultural assistance programs.

Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring encourages farmers and ranchers to submit a Condition Monitoring Observer Report (CMOR) directly to the National Drought Mitigation Center. Producers who prefer another option can also provide information to their local North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension office, where staff can submit reports on their behalf.

The reports help document local conditions that may not be visible through weather stations or satellite data alone. Information collected from producers is used in developing the U.S. Drought Monitor map, which plays an important role in determining eligibility for many state and federal drought assistance programs.

“North Dakota producers throughout the state are again experiencing a variety of challenging weather conditions like severe storm impacts from hail and high winds, flooding in limited areas and worsening drought conditions across much of the state,” Goehring said. “Submitting a report helps provide an understanding of local drought impacts that may not be apparent in broader-scale climate data. The reports are used in developing the U.S. Drought Monitor map, which triggers federal and state drought assistance and response efforts.”

More information about the reports and a link to submit a report is available on the North Dakota Department of Agriculture’s drought resources webpage.

“Sharing photos, timely year-to-year comparisons of water, crop and forage volumes, and local measures of precipitation and temperature in your areas is important to telling the story of drought impacts to North Dakota plants and animals,” North Dakota State Climatologist Daryl Ritchison said.

NDSU Extension recommends submitting a report once each week during the growing season. Regular updates allow experts to compare changing conditions over time and improve the accuracy of drought assessments.

Submitted reports are displayed on a public CMOR map, but personal contact information is not shared publicly unless permission is given.

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