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From 1946 to 1957, a severe drought plagued the Southwest, causing extensive damage and financial losses. President Eisenhower's upcoming tour in 1956 highlighted the dire situation of farms and ranches. The region faced water scarcity, economic challenges, and exploitation by opportunists. This historic drought cycle led to significant changes in land ownership and livelihoods, impacting communities in Arizona and New Mexico, which were hit hardest. The drastic environmental conditions prompted struggling farmers to seek financial aid as water sources ran critically low, affecting daily life and agriculture. This pivotal period in Southwest history exposes the long-lasting effects of natural disasters on society.
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From 1946 to 1957 the Southwest suffered an extreme and long-lasting drought. The following appeared as a front page, headline story in the New York Times on December 6, 1956: • DROUGHT DAMAGE IN BILLIONS SCARS SOUTHWEST • President Eisenhower will find in projected mid-January air tour of the Southwest, farm and ranch lands that have been scarred by one of the worst droughts in the Nation’s history. • vast damage and billions of dollars of losses; bleak prospects for coming year… • “gougers” capitalizing on relief programs… • farmers are leaving the arid lands… • some farmers are borrowing money to meet a crisis beyond their ability to repay… • drinking water is so short in some places residents have had to haul it in jugs from other communities…… • Arizona: One farm agent said the drought had caused a “squeezing process resulting in fewer small ranches and farms and larger holdings” • New Mexico: 31 of the state’s 32 counties were designated disaster areas… In parts of eastern New Mexico the water table was so low that many wells were expected to run “completely dry”.
<85% of mean, > 10 years <85% of mean, > 8 years Average precipitation from 50 met stations in SW Swetnam & Betancourt. 1998. Journal of Climate 11:3128-3147.
Comparison of tree-ring widths and rain gauge records from New Mexico: The past 1,000 years of tree-ring growth in Arizona and New Mexico:
Tucson Las Cruces
