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Fighting Drought in Texas Cotton Country

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 08/10/2026, 16:50:25 UTC.

Briefings

A 2026 drought in Texas's Lubbock region caused 90% of dryland cotton to die, marking the first year of complete crop death for farmers. Satellite imagery from Landsat 8 shows severe parching compared to 2025, while groundwater levels in the High Plains aquifer have declined by 25 to 100 feet since 1950. Farmers are irrigating only partial fields and face a 7-inch rainfall requirement to end the drought, with many wells now pumping air.

Key points

• In September 2026, 90% of dryland cotton in Lubbock County, Texas, was dead, marking the first year of complete crop death for farmers in the region.
• Groundwater levels in the High Plains aquifer have declined by between 25 and 100 feet since 1950, forcing farmers to irrigate only partial fields and risk wells pumping air.

Context and limitations

Data depicts September 2025 and September 2026 satellite imagery; rainfall forecasts are based on meteorological analysis rather than direct observation; aquifer decline rates are estimates from historical data.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 08/10/2026, 17:52:01 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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