South Dakota drought tool: Current model and validation

Jacqueline P. Ott; Stan Boltz; Shannon Kay; Emily Helms-Rohrer

doi:10.2737/RMRS-GTR-447

Treesearch

South Dakota drought tool: Current model and validation

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Jacqueline P. Ott, Stan Boltz, Shannon Kay, Emily Helms-Rohrer

Year:

2025

Type:

General Technical Report

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-447

Source:

Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-447. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 53 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-447.

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Download (PDF 6.69 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/69970.pdf

Abstract

Drought often occurs when precipitation is lower than average growing season precipitation. Drought can vary spatially and temporally across the Northern Great Plains and lead to localized as well as widespread reductions in forage production. In South Dakota, because of its extensive grasslands, managers and producers rely on drought prediction tools that can forecast drought and be frequently updated as the growing season progresses. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) developed the South Dakota Drought Tool (SDDT) to provide peak and monthly forage production estimates for the entire State. The SDDT uses precipitation measurements to calculate these production estimates.

Keywords

drought, forage, productivity, range management

Citation

Ott, Jacqueline P.; Boltz, Stanley; Kay, Shannon; Helms-Rohrer, Emily. 2025. South Dakota drought tool: Current model and validation. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-447. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 53 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-447.