GroundWorx / Environmental pulse
One daily read of drought, weather, fire and research signals.
Compiled from the same public sources as our radar pages: NWS station observations, the US Drought Monitor, NIFC incident records and NASA FIRMS thermal detections. Weather references are not GroundWorx sensor installations.
Today at a glance · refreshing sources
Drought · lower 48
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National statistics unavailable right now. This does not mean conditions are normal.
US incidents
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No agency incidents in the current feed. Coverage gaps are not proof of no fire.
Thermal pixels · 24h
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No thermal cells in the current feed. Satellite gaps are not proof of clear conditions.
Hottest reference region
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Weather sources unavailable right now. This does not mean conditions are mild.
Weather watch
Station observations with model fallbacks, plus derived ET₀ and vapor-pressure-deficit estimates. Public reference points — not GroundWorx installations. Last fetched: Unavailable.
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Weather & Storm TrackerFire activity
NIFC US incident records alongside worldwide NASA FIRMS thermal pixels from the last 24 hours. Last fetched: Unavailable.
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From the universities
University-published research news and extension guidance, with publisher excerpts, original dates and source-owned links. Not all updates are peer-reviewed studies or GroundWorx endorsements.
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Full research catalogFrom GroundWorx
Sep 21, 2026 · Public Policy Institute of California
The fallback scenario is harsher than the current deal. Properties that can prove measured, below-allocation use will be the last ones cut and the first ones trusted.
Read the original storySep 19, 2026 · KUNC / Colorado Newsline
Voluntary conservation only pays if the savings can be verified. Measured root-zone data turns a claim into a credit.
Read the original storySep 18, 2026 · Golf Business News
Regulators are moving from guidance to reporting. Courses metering only at the pump station will struggle to answer questions asked at the root zone.
Read the original storyBackground reading
Short sourced explainers on soil moisture, drought classification, evapotranspiration and fire weather.
Water · 5 min read
Soil moisture is the water held in the spaces between soil particles — the reservoir roots actually drink from. Here is what a reading means and why the ground tells a different story than the sky.
Soil · 5 min read
The three reference points that turn a raw soil-moisture percentage into a decision: where gravity stops draining, where plants stop recovering, and the reservoir in between.
Weather reference readings come from NOAA/NWS stations with model fallbacks; ET₀ and VPD are derived estimates and retain their source. Last fetched: Unavailable.
Drought classifications are weekly county-level areas from NDMC, USDA and NOAA — not soil moisture at any property. Agency incident records may lag; NASA MODIS/VIIRS thermal pixels are not confirmed wildfires. Last fetched: Unavailable.
University research stories are publisher-cached headlines with original dates and links, refreshed by our daily check; failures preserve verified stories rather than creating placeholders. Situational awareness only — follow official warnings and local authorities.