The Dust Bowl

In the time between the 1900s and 1930 the westward expansion of The United States of America was magnificent.  This time was an unusually wet period and farming took advantage of all the potential of the "fertile plains".  The rapid growth also spread many practices that would later have a very negative impact to the environment.

One of the practices that would later prove to be catastrophic was the lack of concern for erosion.  When the fields were plowed they were left bare until it was time to plant new crops.  They burned the left over plant material to clear the land for new crops, depriving the soil of nutrients.  Finally automation took hold and larger and larger open farms were created.  All was well and prosperous for the farmers until, 1934.

In 1934 a severe drought hit the great plains and the folly of their ways became evident.  As the soil dried up, new crops would not grow, and large open fields of dry dirt were now vulnerable to the winds which progressed across the plains without stop.  The winds swept in and stripped the fertile topsoil away and blew the dirt for hundreds of miles.  Homes, cars, cattle, people were all buried.  In 1934 a two day dust storm was so severe that the dust clouds reached Washington D.C. on the east coast.

The result of the dust bowl for the people was the largest exodus in a short period of time in American History.  The farmers, and their families fled the storms for better lives out west.

Not everyone would survive the journey.  Keep in mind that this event occurred during The Great Depression, and there were no resources for charities or jobs for the displaced.

While the disaster was brought on by the drought, it was exacerbated by the poor farming practices of the time.  The extensive wet period was taken advantage of and the farming techniques assumed that the weather was normal.  The large expanses of barren land became a recipe for disaster.  There were no plants to hold the moisture when the rains stopped, and the dry top soil blew away.  Poor planning and lack of understanding of the risks were key factors in the outcome.

One of FDR's first actions when taking office in 1933 was to work on soil conservation laws.  Crops had to be rotated, no more open fields, and lines of trees had to be planted to form wind breaks.  Farmers were reluctant to change, and the government paid them $1 an acre to implement the new procedures.  Education programs began and by 1938 the efforts reduced the amount of soil in the air by 65%.  In 1939, the drought finally ended, however the soil was no longer as productive, and much of it was abandoned.  

Today we live in the United States with practices that keep the soil productive, and should prevent a new dust bowl.  However there is a real risk the the dust bowl may occur again in other parts of the world, where soil conservation is not practiced.

-Professor (Uncle) Walter