The Great Plains region, stretching from Texas to Montana, is one of the world’s most significant agricultural zones. Characterized by expansive prairies and fertile soils, it is a major producer of wheat, corn, cotton, and beef. However, farming in this semi-arid environment faces persistent risk from a highly variable climate. Agricultural productivity is constantly challenged by annually recurring environmental forces.
The Persistent Threat of Drought
The single most defining and recurring problem for agriculture on the Great Plains is the lack of sufficient moisture, leading to drought conditions that emerge and intensify rapidly. The region is naturally prone to low precipitation, and high summer temperatures accelerate evaporation, creating a persistent water deficit. These dry conditions result in substantial reductions in crop yields, sometimes causing complete crop failure for farmers relying solely on rainfall.
Agricultural production across the southern and central Plains depends heavily on the Ogallala Aquifer, a massive underground freshwater reservoir spanning eight states. Farmers use this water to irrigate millions of acres, supporting a significant percentage of U.S. crop sales. However, extraction rates, especially in western Kansas and the Texas Panhandle, far exceed the aquifer’s natural recharge rate from rain and snowmelt. This means the water is being mined as a nonrenewable resource.
This over-reliance makes agricultural operations highly sensitive to prolonged dry spells. Drought increases the demand for irrigation while simultaneously reducing the aquifer’s natural replenishment. The economic fallout from drought is immense, resulting in billions of dollars in annual losses across the region from crop damage and livestock stress. For instance, severe recent droughts have caused winter wheat yields in Kansas to plummet from an average of 50-70 bushels per acre down to 11.4 bushels per acre.
Destructive Seasonal Weather Events
While drought is a chronic threat, the Great Plains also faces acute, localized weather events that cause immediate damage to crops and infrastructure. Hail storms are a major annual occurrence during the growing season, capable of shredding entire fields of maturing corn, soybeans, or wheat in minutes. These storms are a significant source of crop insurance claims, particularly in states like Kansas and Texas, compounding losses already caused by drought.
In addition to hail, the region is susceptible to sudden temperature swings outside the normal growing season. Late spring freezes can destroy newly emerged or flowering plants, while early fall freezes halt the maturation of crops before harvest, significantly lowering quality and yield. Furthermore, the Plains are known for high wind speeds that can cause damage even without precipitation.
These powerful winds damage developing plants and stress livestock, especially when coupled with extreme temperatures. Heat waves, for example, have caused hundreds of cattle deaths in a single event when the heat index climbed above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. These intense, localized events cause instantaneous destruction rather than a slow, season-long decline like drought.
Maintaining the Land: Soil Health and Erosion
A foundational problem exacerbated by drought and high winds is the continuous degradation of topsoil through wind erosion. The semi-arid nature of the Plains, combined with intensive farming practices that leave soil bare, creates a highly erodible surface. When the land lacks moisture and protective vegetative cover, the fine, dry soil becomes vulnerable to persistent high winds.
The erosion process removes the most fertile components of the soil—organic matter, clay, and silt—which hold nutrients and water. This loss lowers the land’s inherent productivity and increases farming costs over time. Wind speeds as low as six miles per hour one foot above the surface can initiate this movement, especially when the soil is loose and finely granulated.
This recurring loss of the resource base is a chronic issue, distinct from the immediate destruction of a single harvest by a storm. The historical 1930s Dust Bowl serves as a stark reminder of this vulnerability, where prolonged drought and poor land management led to massive dust storms and the irreversible loss of millions of acres of topsoil. Maintaining soil health is crucial to ensuring the long-term viability of agriculture in the region.