How Oklahoma farmers are preparing for a drought-stricken winter

The once-fertile earth beneath Harvey Schroeder’s feet has been cracked and dry for months.

Last month was among the driest Octobers in Oklahoma history. Rain finally fell toward the end of the month and beginning of November, dumping four inches of rain across the majority of the states’ counties. But for many the remedy came too late.

More than 67 percent of Oklahoma remains in some degree of drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor. Whenever Schroeder, 77, steps onto the parched soil of his cotton fields, he thinks about his family’s legacy. Schroeder’s land in Tillman County, which he’s nurtured for decades, — saw less than an inch of rain, not enough to help the shriveled plants on his land.

Southwest Oklahoma, the place Oklahoma’s cotton industry calls home, saw less than a half-inch of rain each of the past three months, making harvest a struggle and forcing farmers to seek reimbursement through insurance payouts for lost crops.

Yet in other areas of the state, with the November rain came flash flooding, a steep temperature drop and tornadoes, wiping out crops or deeply damaging land and property.

“You’d really like to find someone to point the finger at and blame it on. But that person is not out there,” Schroeder said.

The U.S. Fifth National Climate Assessment, released in 2023, detailed how hotter temperatures and longer-lasting heat waves have contributed to droughts lasting longer and occurring more frequently. Among the “cascade of effects” of a warming planet are severe droughts that shrink agricultural productivity and strain water systems.

Oklahoma State Climatologist Gary McManus said the toll unpredictable weather has on Oklahoma’s farmers and producers can’t be understated. As other states experience the ripple effects of extreme weather, he said, Oklahoma is going through a crisis of its own.

A line in this photo shows where winter wheat has been harvested in a field near Skedee, Oklahoma. Photo by Nick Oxford/Reuters

McManus said the state has seen wheat crops in the state suffer from nearly $500 million in losses over the past two years, while cotton crops have lost more than $240 million over the same time period.

“We get a lot of erosion, crop damage, flooding after huge rains like what we’ve had after long periods of drought,” he said. “November is shaping up to be one of the craziest ones we’ve had in quite some time.”

While fall in Oklahoma typically comes with a drop in temperatures and an increase in rainfall, the latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows that temperatures continue to remain high and rain in short supply. In October, Oklahoma saw its fourth driest 30-day stretch in the state’s recorded history, with just .4 inches recorded during that time period. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt reminded Oklahomans that the state faced an increased risk of fire danger due to the strong winds and dry conditions.

More than 41 percent of the country is currently experiencing some level of drought and every state besides Flordia is facing at least a moderate level of drought, said Lindsay Johnson, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center. But more than 20 percent of the country is experiencing severe drought, or 0.8 to 1.29 below the normal precipitation range.

Johnson said the long-term effects of severe drought can be devastating for a region as aquifers can be depleted and ecosystems can be permanently altered. There could also be disruptions to the food supply as droughts can raise food prices nationwide and wildfires become more likely in hotter and drier conditions.

“We are seeing a lot hotter temperatures and that is drying up things faster and for longer,” she said. “It’s not so much that we are seeing less precipitation but the rain is less consistent and coming in deluges.”

Without consistent rain, she said, “it’s a lot easier for things to dry out.”

Schroeder harvested his first crop of cotton when he was 14. He remembers the thrill of riding a tractor down the rows of stalks shooting from the ground.

He doesn’t think people know how vital the plant is, not just for shirts and jeans, but for the agricultural system as a whole. Cotton waste products are often turned into products for cattle, including feed.

Schroeder said it often feels like farmers are overlooked during long droughts, especially when media attention is focused on other extreme weather events like hurricanes and wildfires.

“The drought is long and slow and it doesn’t present a good picture so nobody covers it,” he said.

Schroeder, who worked as the executive director of the Oklahoma Cotton Council for years, said Oklahoma’s last good cotton crop was in 2020. In recent hard times, a nearby reservoir, Lake Altus-Lugert, was used to provide water to local producers to help keep crops and livestock hydrated.

For the past three years, the reservoir has been cut off to those same producer, McManus said, as the lake’s levels are down more than 17 feet from its normal pool elevation.

Schroeder said insurance payouts for ruined crops keep farmers in the black, but does not allow them to get ahead or expand their operations.

He worries about the future of cotton in the state if it remains too difficult for farmers and they have nobody interested in taking over their operations. He currently leases out more than 60 acres of his land to producers.

“I just hope they can stay hooked,” he said of the producers he leases to. “If they can’t receive financing or if insurance companies stop insuring, it won’t be good for anybody.”

The dry weather is affecting communities beyond rural farmers. Oklahoma City joins other U.S. cities that have seen record-low rainfall in October.

The continued dry weather conditions have caused water levels at Lake Hefner, Oklahoma City’s primary residential water source, to drop significantly as well. Despite the recent rain, Oklahoma City officials still needed topull about 5 billion gallons of water from its backup reservoir to try to raise the lake’s water level by about 3 feet.

“This release is necessary to help meet the Oklahoma City metro’s water demands as we head into winter,” said Chris Browning, Oklahoma City Utilities Director.

Phil Bohl has been farming cotton for more than 50 years. Near his land in Comanche County in southwestern Oklahoma, he’s seen his fair share of droughts over the decades.

While the current drought isn’t the worst he’s seen, Bohl said he and his employees had to destroy their cotton field this week for the third consecutive year. His insurance provider deemed the field unsalvageable.

“It’s the equivalent of your house burning down and you chose to insure it for 60 percent of its value,” Bohl said of the loss he’ll take after the insurance payout. “You stay optimistic on a drought cause you think, ‘It’ll be better tomorrow. It’ll be better tomorrow.’ But tomorrow does not come.”

Bohl and his crew are preparing for winter, which is expected to be warmer and drier than average through February.

As they work on their upcoming barley and wheat crops, Bohl said he’s never planted winter wheat in 100-degree weather before. The four-wheel-drive feature on his combine, which helps harvest through mud, also won’t be necessary as the ground is completely dried out.

Bohl said he doesn’t believe in climate change; he thinks weather goes in cycles. He is hopeful the rain will come back. He just has to hold out long enough.

“You can’t just throw the towel in and walk away,” he said. “You just don’t bluff.”

Bohl said he’s ready to tighten the belt, hoping to see another healthy crop of cotton again.