Quick Key Facts
- Despite covering only around 25% of Earth’s land area, mountains host more than 85% of bird, mammal and amphibian species.
- Many of Earth’s rivers begin in mountains, and more than half of all people use freshwater from mountains every day.
- Six of the 20 plant varieties that feed most of the world’s population originate in mountains: barley, sorghum, tomatoes, apples, quinoa and potatoes.
- Mountain visits make up 15 to 20% of global tourism.
- Since 1950, mountains have been heating 25% to 50% faster than the global average.
- Even if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, nearly all mountain glaciers will face considerable mass loss by 2100.
- The average Everest climber generates 18 pounds of waste, most of which stays on the mountain.
What Are Mountains and Why Should We Protect Them?
From the Alps and the Andes to Julie Andrews twirling in an alpine meadow in the opening scene of The Sound of Music, mountains have been a powerful force in human history and culture. They dominate our imaginations as they dominate our landscapes, towering over skyscrapers in cities from Tokyo to Seattle and forming islands from Hawaii to Iceland. A mountain, defined as a landmass significantly higher than its surroundings, comes in broadly four types: fold mountains, formed by the movements of tectonic plates; block mountains, created by rocks moving up and down; dome mountains, made from the movement of magma beneath the Earth’s crust and volcanoes.
While mountains are formed by geologic forces deep underground, they create space for unique ecosystems to form high above the Earth. Mountains’ harsh conditions and relative isolation have encouraged and sheltered varied biodiversity.
And what happens on mountains doesn’t stay on mountains. From crucial crops to glacial runoff, mountains have given many gifts to the human and non-human communities that live below them. Yet, society doesn’t treat mountains with the gratitude they deserve, threatening these majestic environments with the climate crisis, resource exploitation, pollution and overtourism. To preserve mountain ecosystems, it’s important for human communities to understand what mountains do for us and, in turn, what we can do for them.
What Are the Main Types of Mountain Ecosystems?
Mountain ecosystems vary wildly in climate and biodiversity. For example, mountains encompass the temperate European Alps and the Desert Mountains of Nevada to island-forming volcanoes like Hawaii’s Kīlauea and the world’s highest peaks in the Himalayas. The ecosystem changes within each individual mountain; this often depends on the altitude. For every 328 feet gained, the temperature falls by 0.9 to 1.1 Fahrenheit, and altitude conditions affect what species can survive and thrive in a particular spot. Similar plants and animals tend to thrive at similar altitudes (and latitudes moving north to south). These ecosystem bands are called life zones — below, we’ll detail out some of the most common.
Montane Forest
The first mountain life zone is the montane forest. Even if a mountain rises out of a lowland forest, the species in the montane forest tend to be distinct from those further below and will have more in common with trees that grow further north. In Europe, North America and temperate Asia, the trees in montane forests are typically conifers such as pines, mountain hemlocks and the unique larches of Washington State’s Cascades, with needles that turn yellow in the fall.
In the Southern Hemisphere’s temperate areas, montane forests are usually made up of one or two broadleaf species, such as eucalyptus in Australia, while in the tropics montane forests are usually evergreen rainforests. One unique tropical and subtropical type of montane forest is the cloud forest. These are evergreen rainforests whose moisture comes from clouds, which envelop the green in a constant mist. The clouds are first intercepted by the mountain slope and then filtered through the leaves. These forests, found in parts of Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Central and Southern Africa and Australia, are known for an abundance of plants like mosses, lichens and orchids that grow on other plants. The unique conditions that form cloud forests mean they’re home to many unique species, such as a carnivorous pitcher plant found in Borneo’s cloud forest called the Nepenthes hurrelliana.
Subalpine Zone
As altitude increases, climate conditions grow more extreme and trees have a harder time surviving. Eventually, they hit a point past which it is too cold, dry and low-oxygen for them to grow. This is called the tree line or timberline, and it typically occurs at the point on a mountain where temperatures during the warmest month average around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The area immediately around the tree line is a transition area between tree-dominated and tree-free ecosystems. This is called the subalpine zone.
The trees that grow in the subalpine zone are often shorter than those below it. Some will grow in the shadow of rocks and won’t grow higher than the rock’s protection. Others will grow out instead of up. These low, wind-twisted trees are called krummholz, the German word for “crooked wood.” Between the krummholz are subalpine meadows where many species of wildflowers flourish, depending on the region. In temperate ecosystems, common flowers are heather, daisies, lupins and pasqueflowers.
Alpine Tundra and Grassland
Above the tree line, conditions grow even harsher, which limits what can grow. The plants that survive grow low to the ground year-round and include grasses, sedges, forbs and lichens. Grasses grow most frequently in alpine meadows, which are created when weather conditions have eroded rocks sufficiently to create soil. Alpine flowers have evolved to have hair on stems and leaves that protect them from the wind. One example is the Edelweiss, or Leontopodium nivale, which grows in the Alps and Carpatihians, a national symbol for several countries in the region. Other alpine flowers have red pigment to help turn the sun’s rays into heat or blue to protect against ultraviolet radiation, such as the Clusius’s gentian in the Swiss Alps.
Many alpine ecosystems around the world will have similar types of plants, including heather, gentians, plantains and buttercups. Tropical alpine regions in the Andes, the Himalayas, East Africa and Pacific islands feature a unique type of plant, a large herb with a rosette structure that can grow to be over 10 feet tall. WWF considers montane grasslands and shrublands to be their own biome. These ecosystems occur all over the world from the Páramo in the Northern Andes to the steppes of the Tibetan plateau. Even higher up, some mountains see ice and snow year-round, conditions that are inhospitable to most life. However, some organisms still find a way, such as ice worms and red algae in the North Cascades or the microbes that have been discovered beneath mountain glaciers.
What Are the Benefits of Mountains?
Mountains have a myriad of benefits, from housing ample biodiversity and providing freshwater to being recreational destinations where people can hike and ski.
Habitats and Biodiversity
Despite only covering around 25% of Earth’s land area, mountains are essential havens for biodiversity, hosting more than 85% of birds, mammals and amphibians and one-third of terrestrial species. They also include almost 25% of the world’s forests. The tropical Andes in South America are home to 45,000 plant species, while the mountains of New Guinea alone host 20,000 plant and animal species. Unique animals that shelter on mountains include iconic species like bighorn sheep, red pandas, orangutans, snow leopards, Rocky Mountain goats, the Himalayan tahr and the California and Andean condors.
The biodiversity importance of mountains comes in part from their elevation and their relative isolation from the landscape below. Their altitude and cooler temperatures allowed them to act as a refuge for cold-weather species as planetary temperatures warmed following the last Ice Age. In more recent history, they provide a haven for species pushed out of the lowlands by human activity. At the same time, the contained environments of mountains enable species to evolve and diverge relatively quickly, so that different but related species can survive on nearby mountain peaks, boosting overall biodiversity. Mountains can also support the biodiversity below them. For example, snowmelt from Mount Kilimanjaro waters the swamps of Amboseli National Park, which shelters 420 bird species and 50 large mammal species.
Water
Mountains are essential to the global freshwater supply, so much so that they’ve known as the “world’s water towers.” Mountains store water in glaciers, snowpacks, lakes and reservoirs that flow downhill at increased rates during warmer weather. Most of the Earth’s largest rivers begin in mountains, and more than half of all people use fresh water from mountains every day for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, electricity, industry, transportation, recreation and fisheries.
Certain ranges are especially important as regional water sources. Scientists have identified 78 mountain “water towers” that are especially vital, providing water to 1.9 billion people. The greatest number of people are dependent on the Indus river system coming out of the Himalayas in Asia. More than 200 million people in the region and 1.3 billion people downstream rely on water from the Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain region alone, which is sometimes called the world’s “Third Pole” for its abundance of mountain glaciers. Other important “water tower” mountains are the European Alps, the U.S. Rockies and the southern Andes in South America. Cities that rely on mountain water include Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Nairobi and Melbourne.
Food and Flowers
Because their harsher conditions put stress on plants, mountain soil is less nutrient-rich overall than lowland soil. Therefore, mountains aren’t used for agriculture on a large scale. That said, several important food crops and beloved garden flowers originated on mountains. These include six of the 20 plant varieties that feed most of the world’s population: barley, sorghum, tomatoes, apples, quinoa and potatoes. Potatoes, for example, were first domesticated in the Andes around 8,000 years ago. Gardens would also be noticeably less bright without mountains, as many popular flowers originated in mountains. More than 60% of wild tulip species evolved in the mountains of Central Asia.
Culture
Currently, between 0.3 billion and 2.3 billion people call mountains home. Communities who have lived on mountains for centuries have developed their cultures based on their alpine lifestyles.
The Sherpas live in the most mountainous part of the Tibetan and Nepalese Himalayas. They’ve become so well known for their mountaineering prowess that the term “sherpa” is now used for any mountain guide in the region, regardless of ethnicity. Switzerland’s iconic yodeling singing style originated from shepherds calling to each other across the Alps. In fact, most mountain ranges are home to Indigenous peoples and local communities who depend on them for sustenance and identity.
Many of these communities have developed unique Indigenous knowledge systems, such as languages, traditions and ways to make use of the land. Many cultures also consider certain mountains and glaciers sacred. Mount Kailas in Tibet is honored by Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Bon. Other mountains that hold spiritual significance to different groups include Mount Everest, Mount Fuji, Mount Ararat, Mauna Kea, the Mount Olympus (of Greek mythology) and Mount Shasta, where the Winnemem Wintu people of California believe all of life bubbled up from a mountain spring.
Recreation
Mountains provide ample opportunities for recreation in nature, such as mountain and rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, camping, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. They also host sites of cultural or historical significance, such as the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, which draws millions of visitors annually. In fact, mountain visits make up 15 to 20% of global tourism. Mountain and snow tourism generated at least $4.9 billion in 2023, which is expected to grow to $8 billion by 2033.
Main Threats to Mountains
When you see craggy peaks towering above the lowlands or spewing ash and lava into the sky, mountains may seem invincible to the whims of humans. Yet their size and power can’t protect mountain ecosystems from the same environmental pressures that human activiy is placing on the rest of the world.
Climate Threats
Scientists have warned that climate change (driven by the burning of fossil fuels), is the greatest threat to mountain ecosystems.
Climate Shift
For every degree that lowlands warm, mountains warm on average 1.8 degrees Celsius. And since 1950, mountains have been heating 25% to 50% faster than the global average. This speed of warming can alter ecosystems faster than plants, animals and humans can adapt, increasing the risk that diseases or invasive species will rise to new mountain life zones and harm native species. The shifting of mountain life zones could threaten unique alpine species with mass extinction.
This rapid warming also threatens the snow and ice that shape alpine life, culture and recreation. One study found that the U.S. ski industry lost $5 billion between 2000 and 2019 due to a lack of snow and the cost of making artificial snow to compensate. Another calculated that 1 in 8 current ski areas wouldn’t get any natural snow cover by 2100. This would threaten local economies that depend on tourism as well as mountain biodiversity, as ski slopes are constructed in higher, more remote areas to chase the remaining snow, shrinking the undisturbed habitats home to mountain life.
Glacier Melt
Perhaps the climate mountain threat that could harm the largest amount of people is the melting of mountain glaciers. This threatens mountains’ status as the world’s water towers, putting the freshwater and energy of over a billion people at risk.
Non-polar glaciers lost around 267 metric gigatons of mass per year between 2000 and 2019 and doubled their rate of thinning during the same time period. A 2023 study found that even if warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, nearly half of all glaciers will melt by 2100. If warming is allowed to reach 2.7 degrees Celsius, 68% would melt. If it reached four degrees, 83% would disappear. Beyond the impact on mountain or mountain-reliant communities, the melting of these glaciers would also contribute to sea-level rise, pushing up water levels by just under 4 inches in the 1.5 degrees scenario and 4.5 inches in the 2.7 degrees of warming — submerging an area where more than 10 million currently live.
Mountain Disasters
Warmer temperatures and glacial melt also increase the risk of mountain disasters such as landslides, rockslides and floods. When glaciers retreat and mountain permafrost melts, this can cause flooding, as there is more water running down the mountain more quickly. It can also destabilize the ground, increasing the risk of land movements like landslides, rockslides and avalanches in warm or thick snow. The climate crisis has also increased the risk of a specific type of flood known as a glacial lake outburst flood. These floods occur when glacial meltwater pools in lakes that are then destabilized by an earthquake, rain storm or dam breach, sending massive amounts of water down the hillside. The number, volume and area of these lakes have increased by 50% since 1990, and 15 million people are now threatened by these types of floods, especially in the Himalayas and the Andes.
Other Threats
The high biodiversity of mountain ecosystems also makes them vulnerable to human threats. Because mountain species have evolved to succeed in such unique environments, they can be easily harmed if that unique ecosystem is threatened. For example, the Taita thrush is only found in the Taita hills of Kenya; it can’t survive in the drier grasslands below.
Habitat / Biodiversity Loss
Human activity can threaten mountain ecosystems directly through development, deforestation and the introduction of invasive or pest species. When a larger number of humans move up into the mountains to live or farm, this can displace native plants and animals and increase human-wildlife conflict when the wild mountain species eat crops or livestock. Poachers also target lower mountain mammals.
In the past, mountain forests haven’t experienced aggressive deforestation like lowlands have. However, this is starting to change. Between 2000 and 2018, humans cleared 78 million hectares of montane forest. The main causes of this deforestation were commercial logging, tree clearing for agriculture and wildfires. The most deforested mountain areas tended to coincide with tropical biodiversity hotspots.
One example of this trend is Southeast Asia, which is home to around half of all tropical montane forests. There, upland forest loss has accelerated in the 2010s, accounting for 42% of the region’s total as of 2019. Mountain forest loss can also increase the risk of flooding and erosion, worsening water quality and affecting native flora and fauna. Species that might need to shift their range to accommodate rising temperatures have less habitat to work with. Southeast Asia’s mountain forests are also especially adept at storing carbon compared with lowland forests, so removing them makes it harder to keep both local and global temperatures lower.
Pollution
The main sources of pollution for mountains are human activities like logging, mining, logging, agriculture, grazing and recreation, as well as the transport of smaller pollutants through the atmosphere. Air pollution from urban or industrial centers can travel to mountains, where it not only worsens air quality but also enters plant tissue, soil and water. This pollution has harmed forests in the Carpathian mountains and brought smog to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where at one point ozone had harmed almost half of the black cherry trees and 79% of milkweed plants sampled. Microplastics have also been found high in mountain ranges, from Mount Everest to the Alps.
Overtourism
While mountain recreation can provide an economic boost to local communities and offer visitors a chance to learn about and appreciate mountains, it has a downside. Sometimes, mountain tourists are not as respectful as they should be or tours are not designed to account for the impact of visitors to vulnerable ecosystems.
Increased visitors can bring more construction of tourist infrastructure like ski lodges or cabins, increased vehicle traffic that emits air pollution, noise and light pollution that disturbs animals, problems with proper waste disposal, disturbance of mountain wildlife and negative encounters with local communities.
One example of overtourism gone wrong is Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain from sea level and a major climbing destination. So much waste has accumulated on Everest that it has been called the “world’s highest garbage dump.” Around 100,000 people visit Everest’s Sagarmatha National Park every year, and around 600 try to summit the mountain every climbing season. The average climber generates 18 pounds of waste, most of which stays on the mountain. In addition to larger debris like abandoned tents, oxygen canisters and even dead bodies, climbers also leave behind human waste. With increased melt and runoff from climate change, some of this waste has begun to flow into the local water supply, putting people downstream at risk from dangerous diseases like cholera and hepatitis A.
How to Protect Mountains
Humans have the power to harm mountain ecosystems, but we also have the power to protect them. The decisions we make as citizens, consumers, policymakers and tourists can have a positive impact on these magical environments.
Protecting Mountains From Climate Change
As previously discussed, climate change is one of the biggest threats to mountains and glaciers.
Mitigation
The most important way to protect mountains from the climate crisis is the same as the most important way to protect the entire Earth: We must phase out fossil fuels as rapidly as possible. This means both preventing development of new fossil fuel deposits, replacing oil, gas and coal with renewable sources of energy like wind and solar and transitioning from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles while improving public transportation options. In its most recent assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends nearly halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050 in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The second main driver of the climate crisis is the destruction of natural carbon sinks through deforestation and other forms of land-use change. This means that protecting mountain habitats has a double benefit for mountains: It preserves an individual ecosystem from immediate disturbance and it lowers the impacts of climate change on all mountains.
Adaptation
Even if world leaders succeed in winding down the use of fossil fuels and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming — something that seems increasingly unlikely — mountain communities will need to adjust to the climate impacts they’re already experiencing and the ones that are projected to continue, such as the loss of nearly half of mountain glaciers by 2100.
Some are already taking action. Resort employees on Switzerland’s Mount Titlis have started covering the mountain’s glacier with protective polyester fleece during the summer. Venezuela is restoring wetlands to deal with water shortages. And in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region of Pakistan, communities are working to establish an early-warning system for more frequent floods. The Adaptation at Altitude program seeks to help mountain communities become more resilient to climate change by researching effective solutions and sharing them across alpine regions.
Unfortunately, the IPCC found that current mountain adaptations are not fast, expansive or substantial enough to respond to a high level of climate risks. Policymakers can boost the adaptive ambition of mountain regions by fostering international collaboration. They can developing holistic projects that consider all the needs of mountain communities, support more research and data gathering and making sure mountain communities have the funds they need.
Protecting Mountains From Other Threats
Beyond climate change, there are other issues that can harm mountains.
Exploitation and Deforestation
Governments, corporations and individuals can take steps to protect mountain ecosystems from exploitation. Research into mountain deforestation found that deforestation was less likely to occur in protected areas, so conserving mountain ecosystems — and safeguarding the land rights of any Indigenous communities that steward them — is one immediate way to prevent further habitat and biodiversity loss.
Scientists say these protected areas should be large enough to give species space to move. Governments can also regulate extractive industries and support ecological restoration and agroforestry efforts. They can plan dams and other infrastructure in such a way that won’t disturb waterflow or wildlife. Restoration or reforestation projects should replant a variety of native species rather than single tree species in monoculture plantations.The international community could also negotiate treaties to specifically protect mountain ecosystems.
Tourism companies can follow best-practices to make sure that they are being mindful of the limits of mountain ecosystems and the rights of local communities. Larger food or lumber corporations can make sure that their supply chains are deforestation-free. Consumers can choose to support companies that respect mountain ecosystems and avoid those that don’t.
Responsible Climbing and Tourism
One of the most important ways individuals can protect mountains is to behave responsibly when they visit them. This means following the principle of “leave no trace” and taking anything you bring to a mountain with you when you leave. Other things you can do are travel during off-peak season or to less popular destinations, rely on non-fossil fuel transport when possible, support sustainable tourism companies, be respectful of Indigenous or local communities you encounter, buy second-hand gear or share equipment with others and spread awareness of these best practices to other hikers. If you are lucky enough to trek Mount Everest, make sure to offset your climb by bringing your waste back down with you.
Takeaway
“The mountains are issuing a distress call,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at a 2023 United Nations climate change conference.
That distress call comes in the form of melting glaciers, sudden floods, snowless ski slopes and falling forests. If human societies choose to ignore that call, they could usher in a future in which mountains are unrecognizable, as glaciers, snowpacks and entire niches of species disappear. However, if we can learn to work with mountains to stop exploitation, the outlook for mountains might be brighter.
The post What Mountains Provide and Why They Need Protection appeared first on EcoWatch.
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Just over half the country is officially in drought, and about 155.7 million Americans—almost seven million more than last week—are now affected. The U.S. Drought Monitor’s April 23 report shows that 52.46% of the United States and Puerto Rico, and 62.78% of the Lower 48, are experiencing moderate drought or worse. According to NOAA, this is the worst spring drought on record for the continental United States.
This drought is not limited to one region. The Southeast just had its driest September-through-March since records began in 1895. The Colorado River system is only 36% full. Texas is 77% in drought, and Corpus Christi’s reservoirs have dropped to nearly 9%. Nebraska experienced its largest wildfire ever, fueled by dry grasslands. Oregon’s snowpack reached zero on April 1. In California, Tahoe City Cross melted completely by March 8, 40 days earlier than usual, after a record-breaking March heat wave caused rapid melting of an already low snowpack across most of the West.
The common factor is that from January through March, precipitation was below 70% of average across the lower 48 states, setting a new record. As a result, water restrictions are now broader and, in many places, more severe than usual.
The National Picture
The headline numbers come from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA. As of April 21, drought conditions had worsened across the South, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, High Plains, and West, with a 2.9% increase in coverage over the past week and an 11.7% increase over the past month. The Northeast and parts of Texas and the eastern Plains saw modest improvement; everywhere else trended drier.
Two main climate factors have caused this record drought. First, La Niña led to less rainfall from January to March, with totals below 70% of average—the lowest since records began in 1895, just surpassing the previous low in 1910. Second, spring temperatures in the Central Plains, Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic were 5 to 10 degrees above normal, which sped up soil moisture loss and increased evaporation. This drought is not just about low rainfall; high temperatures are also drying out what little moisture remains.
The effects of the drought are already clear in the number of wildfires. By mid-April, over 1.7 million acres had burned across the country, nearly double the 10-year average. Nebraska’s Morrill Fire, which burned more than 640,000 acres in March, was the largest in the state’s history. In southeastern Georgia, the Highway 82 Fire destroyed at least 54 structures in Brantley County, which was the first county in the Southeast to reach exceptional drought (“D4”).
Southwest: The Colorado River Approaches a Threshold
The Colorado River Basin is facing water shortages not seen in modern times. The Bureau of Reclamation says the system is at about 36% of capacity. Lake Powell is only 23% full, and Lake Mead is about one-third full. Spring runoff into Lake Powell is expected to be just 22% of average. If this continues, 2026 could be one of the driest years in over sixty years, possibly even drier than 2002, which was the previous record.
In response, the Bureau of Reclamation announced in April that it plans to cut Lake Powell releases to 6 million acre-feet, the lowest in decades. They will also move water from Flaming Gorge to keep Lake Powell high enough for Glen Canyon Dam to generate hydropower. The dam provides electricity to about five million people, but water levels could drop too low by December if things do not improve. The seven states that share the Colorado River have not agreed on new rules for after 2026, when current guidelines expire. The Interior Department has said it may set new rules on its own if no agreement is reached this summer. Western states could be heading toward a conflict over water.
Local water restrictions are getting stricter. In March 2026, Erie, Colorado, moved to a Level 4 Emergency, the highest stage, which bans all residential sprinkler use. Aurora has completely banned new turf lawns. Denver Water started Stage 1 restrictions, asking residents to cut both indoor and outdoor water use by 20% until October 1. Along the Rio Grande, Elephant Butte is at 12.6% capacity, Falcon at 19.2%, and Amistad at 31.4%.
California: Permanent Rules Meet a Fourth Dry Year
California’s situation is more complex than just being in drought or not. In January 2026, the Drought Monitor showed no part of California in drought for the first time in 25 years. By April, Southern California was facing its fourth straight year of below-average rainfall. The statewide snowpack was only 18% of normal, and the State Water Project will limit water releases to 30% of normal.
What’s notable is that California’s restrictions no longer depend on whether a drought is officially declared. After the 2012-2017 drought, the state moved to a permanent year-round conservation framework codified by state law AB 1572 and the State Water Resources Control Board’s “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” rules.
Statewide baseline rules apply every year, regardless of conditions: no hosing down driveways or hardscape; no irrigation within 48 hours of rainfall; no irrigation runoff into streets or storm drains; mandatory shutoff nozzles on hoses; and recirculation requirements for fountains and decorative water features.
On top of these restrictions, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves 19 million people, issued a Level 1 conservation notice in March 2026 to all 26 city and county agency members. State enforcement of the new water-budget rules is paused until 2027 to give utilities time to adjust.
California is in for a dry summer this year.
Southeast: A Recharge Season That Failed
The Southeast, usually a humid region, is now facing a record drought. Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina all had their driest September-through-March since 1895. Normally, the region relies on December through March to restore soil moisture, streamflows, and groundwater, but this year, that recharge mostly did not occur.
The result, as of April: 100% of North Carolina, 99.95% of Virginia, 99.34% of South Carolina, 98.99% of Florida, 98.13% of Georgia, 93.65% of Tennessee, and 88.66% of Alabama are in drought. In Georgia, extreme drought now covers 71% of the state, the highest reading since 2012. Some monitoring stations with 75 or more years of data are recording their driest six-month periods on record. Drought watches are active across Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama, with mandatory rules likely if late-spring rainfall doesn’t materialize.
Texas and the Southern Plains: Cities at the Edge
Texas is 77% in drought as of mid-April. The Coastal Bend story is the one to watch closely. Combined storage at Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi has fallen to 8.7% as of April 2026 — among the lowest levels ever recorded. Corpus Christi has been under Stage 3 mandatory restrictions since December 2024, the most severe stage in the city’s standard drought contingency plan, which is triggered when combined reservoir storage drops below 20% capacity. Stage 3 bans all outdoor irrigation, home vehicle washing, and most non-essential outdoor water use; second and subsequent violations carry fines up to $2,000 each.
The bigger concern is what happens next. City models now predict a Level 1 Water Emergency by September 2026, when the water supply could be just 180 days from running out. On April 28, 2026, the City Council postponed a vote on a proposal that would require everyone—residents, businesses, and industry—to cut water use by 25% if Level 1 is declared. Many residents at the meeting said this cut would be impossible unless industrial users reduce even more.
If Corpus Christi runs out of water—a scenario city officials now consider possible—it would be the first modern American city to face this. There is no guidebook for what to do. In the worst case, the city could see rolling water shutoffs by district, water delivered by tanker trucks, and even managed evacuations. The largest industrial users, such as petrochemical refineries, would likely lose access to water first, potentially leading to lawsuits.
In other parts of Texas, Dallas has had a permanent rule since 2001 that only allows watering lawns two days a week, and no irrigation is allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from April to October. In Oklahoma and Kansas, the Ranger Road Fire—the largest U.S. wildfire of 2026 so far—burned 283,283 acres in February, killed hundreds of livestock, and led to burn bans across central and eastern Oklahoma.
High Plains: Dust, Fire, and Lake Beds
Nebraska is experiencing conditions that one state climatologist said are unlike anything seen before. Fifty-six percent of the state is in extreme drought, similar to 2012 but with warmer temperatures. The Morrill Fire started in March and quickly spread through dry grasslands, burning over 640,000 acres—the largest wildfire in Nebraska’s history. In Sheridan County, some landowners say their private lakes have dried up completely for the first time since 2012.
The Black Hills in South Dakota are now in extreme drought. In southern Nebraska, southwest Kansas, and southeast Colorado, low rainfall combined with high temperatures and evaporation have made spring planting difficult in many areas. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that streamflows are below or much below normal across southwestern South Dakota, southern Nebraska, and central and western Kansas.
Mandatory urban restrictions in this region are still relatively rare, but burn bans are widespread, and ranchers are culling cattle herds rather than feeding them on pastures with no grass.
Pacific Northwest: A Snow Drought, Not a Rain Drought
The Pacific Northwest had more precipitation this winter than the Southwest, but most of it fell as rain instead of snow because of record-warm temperatures. This has caused a snow drought rather than a rain drought. Since the region relies on snowpack for summer water, this is a serious problem.
Across the broader Columbia River Basin, snowpack ranks in the second percentile. On April 8, Washington’s Department of Ecology declared a statewide Drought Emergency, citing snowpack at just 53% of the median and projected summer water supply below 75% of normal in many basins, including the Yakima. Junior water-rights holders in the Yakima Basin are projected to receive only 44% of their allotment. Idaho is facing what could be its fourth consecutive drought year in its northern basins.
For the Northwest, the effects go beyond just this summer. New research from Oregon State University predicts that by the end of the century, water will move from precipitation to streamflow about 18% faster on average. This happens because there is less snow and more rain, so water moves through the system more quickly instead of slowly melting from snowpack. As a result, there could be about 50% less water in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs during the summer growing season.
The shift toward earlier runoff seen in 2026 is not a one-time event. It is a preview of the more severe impacts that climate change could bring.
Where Restrictions Are Active
This is a partial snapshot as of April 27, 2026. Local utilities update stages weekly. Verify before relying on these figures.
| Region | Location | Stage / Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | Erie, CO | Level 4 Emergency | All residential sprinklers banned; most severe Front Range stage |
| Southwest | Aurora, CO | Stage 1 + turf ban | New turf lawn installations prohibited |
| Southwest | Denver, CO | Stage 1 (through Oct. 1) | Watering schedule by address |
| California | MWD Southern Calif. region | Level 1 conservation notice | Issued March 2026; covers 19M residents |
| California | San Francisco (SFPUC) | Level 2 | Tied to Hetch Hetchy levels |
| California | Sacramento | Stage 2 | Folsom Lake at 48% |
| Southeast | SW Florida (SWFWMD) | Phase III (Apr 3 – Jul 1) | Possible extension if summer rains fail |
| Southeast | Raleigh, NC | Mandatory Stage 1 (from Apr 20) | Odd/even address watering schedule |
| Southeast | Valdosta, GA | Mandatory 1-day/week (from Apr 15) | First Georgia city to move to mandatory rules |
| Texas | Corpus Christi | Stage 3 — Reservoir Crisis | Reservoirs at 8.7%; 25% cut planned for September |
| Texas | Dallas | Permanent 2-day/week | Ordinance since 2001; no irrigation 10am–6pm Apr–Oct |
| Pacific NW | Washington (statewide) | Drought Emergency (Apr 8) | Snowpack at 53% of median; Yakima Basin junior rights cut to 44% |
| Pacific NW | Oregon (snow drought) | No statewide order yet | Snow water equivalent at zero percentile on April 1 |
What You Can Do
Households use about 10% of all water in the U.S. Agriculture is still the biggest user, but in cities with restrictions, saving water at home can help prevent stricter rules, fines, or limits on businesses. The EPA’s WaterSense program says the average American family uses about 300 gallons a day, and simple upgrades can cut indoor use by 35%.
Indoor (immediate, no cost):
- Check your home for leaks. On average, American homes waste over 11,000 gallons a year from running toilets and dripping faucets. A single toilet leak can waste 200 gallons a day. To test for leaks, put food coloring in the tank—if it shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving. This can save 8 to 10 gallons per person each day.
- Only run your dishwasher and washing machine when they are full. You can also skip pre-rinsing dishes.
- Take shorter showers. Reducing your shower by two minutes with a standard showerhead can save about 5 gallons of water.
Indoor (small investment):
- Install WaterSense-labeled fixtures. Faucet aerators and showerheads use at least 20% less water and are inexpensive. The average family can save about 3,500 gallons of water and 410 kWh of energy each year just by using these.
- Replace any toilet made before 1992. Older toilets use 4 gallons per flush, while WaterSense models use 1.28 gallons or less.
Outdoor (where most savings can happen):
- Outdoor irrigation uses nearly 9 billion gallons of water a day nationwide. It makes up about 30% of household water use, and up to 70% in dry areas. Water your yard before sunrise or after sunset to reduce evaporation.
- Consider replacing your lawn with drought-tolerant plants that are suited to your region. This type of landscaping uses less than half the water of a traditional lawn. Many cities, such as Aurora, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, offer rebates for replacing turf.
- Install a smart irrigation controller with a rain shutoff or soil moisture sensor. These devices adjust watering based on real conditions instead of following a set schedule.
- Add 2 to 3 inches of wood chips as mulch to your flower beds and vegetable gardens. This helps reduce evaporation and keeps weeds down.
Community and policy:
- Find out your utility’s current drought stage and the rules that apply. Most utilities post this information online and let you report water waste, like irrigation during banned hours or broken sprinklers spraying onto pavement.
- If you’re in an HOA, know your rights. California’s AB 1572 and Texas Property Code §202.007 prohibit HOAs from fining residents for brown lawns during active water restrictions. Other states are following this example.
- Pay attention to how agriculture and industry use water in your area. While homes use only about 10% of water, decisions about the other 90%—used by farms and businesses—will shape whether household conservation efforts make a lasting difference.
The Big Climate Picture
Some may see the 2026 drought as just a mix of La Niña, a warm winter, and early snowmelt, with rain expected to return as conditions change and an El Niño watch begins for late summer. While this is partly true, the bigger pattern—record warmth, snow falling as rain, earlier and faster runoff, and reservoirs unable to keep up as demand rises during hotter, longer summers—is what climate science has predicted for nearly twenty years.
Lake Powell is at 23%. Oregon’s snowpack is gone. North Carolina is completely in drought. Corpus Christi is preparing for the chance of running out of water. These are not separate stories. They are all part of the same story, showing what aridification looks like when it becomes a daily reality instead of just a forecast.
Editor’s note: Drought conditions are evolving weekly. Statistics in this piece are current as of the U.S. Drought Monitor release dated April 21–23, 2026. Local water restrictions change frequently — verify with your utility before relying on the figures cited here.
The post The 2026 Drought, Region by Region appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/earth-watch/the-2026-drought-region-by-region/
Want to save time, money, and energy all while adding convenience to your life? Something as simple as using smart plugs throughout your home can help achieve these goals.
The average U.S. household has roughly 65 devices plugged in around the clock, quietly drawing about 770 kilowatt-hours of phantom power every year, about enough to run a refrigerator for nine months. At today’s average residential electricity rate of 17.47 cents per kilowatt-hour, that’s roughly $135 a year wasted on devices nobody uses.
Smart plugs are the simplest, cheapest way to stop electricity waste. The arrival of Matter, the cross-platform smart home standard backed by Amazon, Apple, Google, and Samsung, and the maturing of the low-power Thread wireless protocol mean a smart plug bought today should outlast the app it shipped with and work across whatever smart home ecosystem you switch to next. This updated article covers what changed, what to look for now, and which models are worth installing in 2026.
This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we receive a small commission that helps fund our work.
How Smart Plugs Work
A smart plug sits between a wall outlet and whatever you plug into it — a lamp, a coffee maker, a space heater, an entertainment center. Inside is a relay that opens or closes the circuit on command, plus a wireless radio that listens for those commands from your phone or a smart speaker. Some plugs add an energy meter that reports real-time wattage and cumulative kilowatt-hours back to the app.
Older smart plugs relied entirely on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and the manufacturer’s cloud services, which meant a server outage or a Wi-Fi hiccup could leave you unable to turn off your lamp. Matter-certified plugs communicate locally over your home network and continue working even when the internet drops. Thread-based plugs go further, forming a self-healing mesh network in which each plugged-in device acts as a relay for the next, extending range and cutting response time, so there’s less waiting for your smart home app to make your smart home work.
In late 2022, the Connectivity Standards Alliance released Matter 1.0, an open, royalty-free standard meant to end the era of locked smart home ecosystems. Matter-certified plugs pair with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings simultaneously, and it is configured by scanning a single QR code. No brand-specific app required, no separate hub for each platform.
Matter has matured quickly. Version 1.4 added home energy management as a first-class device category and introduced certified routers and access points that double as Thread border routers. Version 1.5, published in November 2025, expanded support to cameras, soil moisture sensors, and additional energy management features. As of 2026, Thread border router certification requires Thread 1.4, which lets security credentials to be passed between platforms, so a plug added through Apple Home can also be controlled from a SmartThings hub.
A Matter plug bought in 2026 should still work in 2030, even if you switch from an Amazon Echo to a HomePod or add a SmartThings station. By contrast, a proprietary Wi-Fi plug from a brand that goes out of business or sunsets its app is a paperweight. That’s a real consideration in a category where startups have come and gone — Wink, Insteon, and others left users stranded when their cloud services shut down.
How Much Energy They Actually Save
Smart plugs save energy only when you use them deliberately. The plug itself draws roughly 1 to 2 watts of standby power, so each one adds about $1.50 a year to your bill before it does any work. That cost is recovered many times over if the plug is used to schedule, monitor, or kill standby loads.
Three smart plug features do most of the work:
1. Cutting Standby Loads
The U.S. Department of Energy and the Natural Resources Defense Council estimate that standby power — the electricity devices draw when they’re switched off but still plugged in — accounts for 5% to 10% of residential electricity use, and as much as 23% in homes packed with always-on electronics. The NRDC estimates the national wasted energy spending at about $19 billion a year, or roughly $165 to $440 per household. Older devices, gaming consoles, set-top boxes, and audio equipment are the worst offenders.
A smart plug with energy monitoring lets you spot which devices are draining power in standby and either schedule them off overnight or kill the circuit entirely. One reviewer found an old gaming console drawing 50 watts in standby mode, which costs is about $45 a year at average rates.
2. Scheduling and Off-Peak Shifting
Scheduling a coffee maker, towel warmer, or seasonal lights to run only when needed is the simplest savings case. The bigger one is shifting flexible loads — EV chargers, dehumidifiers, pool pumps — to off-peak hours when many utilities offer lower rates and the grid is running on cleaner sources. Earth911’s reporting on vampire loads walks through which household devices are worth targeting first.
3. Smart Plugs can Catch Failures Early
This is the underrated benefit. A refrigerator that suddenly draws 40% more power, a sump pump that’s cycling too often, or a freezer running 24/7 because the door seal failed will all show up in an energy-monitoring plug’s history before they show up on your utility bill. For appliances that fail gradually, the plug is a cheap diagnostic tool.
2026 Performance Standards: What to Look For
The smart plug market has consolidated around a handful of meaningful specifications. A plug bought in 2026 should meet most of these:
- UL or ETL safety certification. This is non-negotiable. Uncertified plugs from unknown brands have been linked to overheating and fires; in 2023 the CPSC announced a recall of Emporia smart plugs over electric shock hazards, and counterfeit electrical products remain a documented risk. Look for the printed UL or ETL mark on the device itself, not just the listing page.
- 15-amp / 1,800-watt rating. Standard for U.S. plugs and sufficient for nearly any single-outlet appliance. Be cautious about controlling space heaters with smart plugs, even at this rating; high-draw devices running for hours can stress the relay.
- Matter certification. Look for the Matter logo (three arrows forming a triangle) on the plug packaging.
- Real energy monitoring. Look for plugs that report actual wattage and cumulative kilowatt-hours, not estimated usage based on assumed device profiles. This is the feature that turns a smart plug into a savings tool rather than a convenience gadget.
- Local scheduling stored on the plug itself continues running when the internet drops. Cloud-only schedules don’t.
- Compact form factor. Older plugs were bulky enough to block the second outlet on a duplex receptacle. Slim designs from Kasa, TP-Link Tapo, and Eve now fit two per outlet.
- Thread support is optional but useful. Thread plugs use less power than Wi-Fi, respond faster, and strengthen your mesh as you add more. They require a Thread border router, which is built into most current Apple, Google, and Amazon hubs.
Recommended Models for 2026
These picks are organized by use case rather than ranked overall. Prices and availability checked April 2026; verify before purchase.
Best Cross-Platform Pick: Kasa KP125M
The Kasa KP125M was one of the first Matter-certified plugs with proper energy monitoring and remains the best balance of features in 2026. It works with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings via Matter to track real-time and historical wattage in the Kasa app. It stores schedules locally and is compact enough to stack two in a duplex outlet. UL-certified, 15A/1800W. Around $20 per plug in 2-packs and 4-packs. The Chinese manufacturer, TP-Link, has had its U.S. market presence scrutinized for security concerns — worth considering if that’s a priority for your household.
Best for Apple Home and Thread Mesh: Eve Energy
Eve Energy (Matter) runs over Matter and Thread, joining a Thread mesh automatically to act as a router for nearby devices. Eve’s privacy posture is unusual: no cloud, no account registration, no telemetry, so you can use it without fear of digital surveillance of your home. The energy monitoring is granular enough to capture small changes in appliance behavior, and the app provides detailed cost projections. UL-certified, 15A/1800W. Premium-priced at closer to $40 per plug, but the Thread support and privacy stance justify it for households committed to a local-first smart home.
Outdoor Use: Wyze Plug Outdoor
For holiday lights, pool pumps, garden features, and string lights, the Wyze Plug Outdoor offers two independently controlled, weather-sealed outlets with energy monitoring, a built-in light sensor, and IP64 water resistance. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant, operating from -4°F to 120°F. Typically priced between $25 and $30. Note that Wyze has had several security incidents over the past few years, which is worth weighing for indoor cameras, but matters less for an outdoor plug controlling lights.
Simplest Alexa-Only Setup: Amazon Smart Plug
If your household is already deep in the Alexa ecosystem and you want zero-configuration setup, the Amazon Smart Plug pairs automatically with Echo devices and works through the Alexa app, with no separate setup required. While it provides n o energy monitoring, this Alexa-only costs around $20. The simplest option, but the least flexible if you ever switch ecosystems.
The Bigger Picture
Smart plugs are a small intervention. Cutting standby load might save a household $50 to $200 a year — meaningful, but a fraction of the savings available from more efficient HVAC, water heating, and appliance choices, which together account for the majority of residential electricity use. The case for smart plugs is less about that one number and more about the visibility they provide. Most households have no idea which devices are responsible for their bills until they get the data.
The category also has a larger-grid story. Smart plugs that can shift flexible loads to off-peak hours give utilities and grid operators tools to balance demand without building more peaker plants, particularly relevant as electrification of heating and transportation drives residential demand growth. Check out our conversation with ecobee’s Sarah Colvin, which to go deeper into how distributed smart devices are starting to function as grid resources, not just consumer conveniences.
What You Can Do
- Audit before you buy. Walk through your home with a notepad and list devices that run on standby, such as entertainment systems, gaming consoles, printers, set-top boxes, microwaves with clocks, or anything with an LED that stays lit. Those are your first smart plug candidates.
- Start with one Matter plug with energy monitoring. Use it as a diagnostic tool for a week on each of your top suspects before installing a full set. The data will tell you which loads are worth automating.
- Build schedules around the loads you actually use. A coffee maker that runs from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m., an entertainment system that powers down at midnight, and holiday lights on a sunset-to-11 p.m. window. Aim for the plug to spend most of its time off.
- Check for utility rebates. Many U.S. utilities offer rebates on energy-monitoring devices and smart home products that participate in demand-response programs. Your provider’s website or ENERGY STAR’s rebate finder is the place to start.
- Don’t put high-draw appliances on smart plugs. Space heaters, window AC units, and other devices that draw near the 15A rating for hours at a time stress the relay and pose a real fire risk. Use a hardwired smart switch or a smart breaker for those instead.
- Verify safety certification on the physical product. The UL or ETL mark should be printed on the plug itself. If it’s not, return it.
Editor’s Note: Originally written by Sandi Schwartz on March 29, 2023, this article was substantially updated in April 2026.
The post How To Save Energy in Your Home With Smart Plugs appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/eco-tech/how-to-save-energy-in-your-home-with-smart-plugs/
Today’s quote is from Yvon Chouinard, rock climber, environmentalist, and founder of outdoor gear retailer Patagonia. He said, “Going back to a simpler life based on living by sufficiency rather than excess is not a step backward.” Is it time to simplify your life?
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.
This poster was originally published on June 26, 2020.
The post Earth911 Inspiration: Living by Sufficiency Rather Than Excess appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-living-by-sufficiency-rather-than-excess/
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