National Assessment Finds 8 Percent of U.S. Vulnerable to Water Shortages

Approximately 8 percent of the United States is vulnerable to future water shortages, according to the National Water Availability Assessment reported by Newsweek. Groundwater depletion is a major contributing factor, said Dr. Edward Stets, a researcher at the U.S.

Geological Survey who worked on the assessment. The High Plains Aquifer spans about 174,000 square miles across eight states from South Dakota to Texas. Intensive withdrawals began in the 1950s, and water-level declines have been recorded in many but not all parts of the formation since then.

The Ogallala Aquifer is one formation within the High Plains Aquifer, Stets clarified. An ongoing mega drought compounds the pressure in the Western United States. Snow accumulation in mountainous areas is very low, and many regions face low water availability this summer, Stets said.

Much of the West recorded its lowest snowfall totals in 20 years, with Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico particularly affected. Alta Ski Area near Salt Lake City, which averages 543 inches of snowfall each winter, recorded 321.5 inches during the 2025-2026 season, the lowest amount in 45 years.

A number of Utah resorts ended operations earlier than normal because of the shortfall.

November 2025 was unseasonably warm, limiting snowmaking opportunities until natural snowfall arrived in early December. The High Plains region, especially Northern Texas, shows elevated water stress. More than 60 percent of the country faces some level of drought, the U.S.

Drought Monitor reported. The Great Lakes ecoregion holds about 90 percent of U.S. freshwater, while national forests and grasslands contain around 20 percent. Stets noted that the United States possesses substantial freshwater resources overall, though they are unevenly distributed.