Drought is not new to Oklahoma – in fact, it has always been a regular part of life in the state. Oklahoma sits in a transition zone between the humid eastern U.S. and the semi-arid High Plains climate, thus, rainfall naturally swings a lot from year to year and decade to decade.
The good news is that in the long-term, Oklahoma is not getting steadily drier – it has always been prone to dramatic swings with wet reversals mixed in.
“However, there has been a stronger drought signal over roughly the last 25 to 30 years,” says Gary McManus, Oklahoma’s state climatologist.
When the rains dwindle, the atmosphere pulls moisture out of the ground and vegetation, which intensifies the drought faster and raises the risk of flash drought when low rainfall combines with heat and wind.
After years of drought conditions, June 2025 brought some relief for the first time in nearly six years, but the drought expanded rapidly late last year. Oklahoma experienced a historically warm period, with the warmest winter on record.
“That kind of heat, especially when paired with wind and spotty rainfall, can accelerate drought development in a hurry,” McManus says.
With a few well-timed storm systems, Oklahoma can improve quickly, but true recovery usually takes longer than one wet stretch.
In the meantime, for farmers, dry weather means less water availability and more water needed for irrigation. Lack of adequate water can lower crop yields, increase costs and decrease profits. Drought stress can also impact livestock production when water supplies are scarce. For fishing and recreation, dry weather means lower lake levels that affect fish habitats and water quality. Sedimentation and warming waters can reduce fish populations and recreational value. Adequate water levels are also critical for boating and other water-related recreation, which is a key economic driver for many areas of the state, particularly in the east.
Drinking water is affected as well. Cities and rural water systems depend heavily on reservoirs for water supply – when supplies shrink, water restrictions become more common, treatment costs increase and systems can suffer economic loss due to the lack of adequate water for businesses; smaller systems are especially vulnerable.
Oklahoma’s water supplies are not necessarily shrinking, but the state does run the risk of having less reliable and usable supplies due to drought, aging infrastructure, sedimentation in lakes and reservoirs and rising demand.
Oklahoma leadership is asking citizens to adopt conservation measures and has implemented mandatory odd/even watering schedules to manage water use effectiveness. The use of rain barrels is also encouraged.
“State leaders recognize that reliable water supplies are foundational to public health, public safety, local economic prosperity and Oklahoma’s competitiveness,” says Julie Cunningham, executive director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB).
To help the state through the current drought, Oklahoma is being proactive in ensuring that water supplies adequately meet the needs of citizens and industries – both now and in the future.
The 2025 Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan (OCWP) is the state’s roadmap for ensuring reliable water supplies for Oklahoma’s future.
“It identifies long-term water needs across 13 regions, assessing supply, demand and infrastructure to support economic growth and environmental stability through science-based, collaborative planning,” says Darla Whitley, OWRB’s communications director.
As always, Oklahoma will get through this dry spell with collaboration, innovation and shared commitment to protect the state’s most critical natural resource: water.
