On Cow Appreciation Day, celebrated each year on July 8, many Americans recognize the cultural and economic role cattle play in rural life. But behind the celebration lies a growing challenge facing cattle producers across North America: water scarcity.
Beef cattle production is one of the largest agricultural sectors in the United States, with over 900,000 cattle and calf operations nationwide. Yet increasingly unpredictable access to water is putting pressure on ranchers and threatening the long-term stability of their herds.
“Cattle are the cornerstone of rural livelihood and food security around the world. For generations, they’ve powered economies, nourished communities, and sustained ranching families through good years and hard ones,” Ranchbot CEO Andrew Coppin shares.
“None of that is possible without water. Healthy cattle depend on consistent, clean water, as does every part of the operation that supports them. In today’s climate, safeguarding our herds means getting smarter about how we monitor, manage, and value every drop.”
Cattle need significant amounts of water each day. According to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, beef cattle typically consume between 3 to 30 gallons of water daily, depending on factors like weight, diet, and temperature. In hot weather, that number climbs even higher. With longer droughts becoming more common in key states like Texas, California, and Kansas, maintaining a stable water supply is becoming increasingly difficult.
The U.S. Drought Monitor reported in 2024 that over 40% of the contiguous U.S. experienced moderate to severe drought conditions, with the southern Plains and Southwest, regions dense with cattle operations, among the hardest hit. Reduced rainfall and dwindling surface water sources have led to dried-up ponds, limited stream flow, and increased reliance on groundwater, which is expensive to extract and not always sustainable.
This scarcity has direct consequences for cattle health. Dehydrated animals can suffer from reduced feed intake, slower weight gain, and lower milk production in cow-calf operations. Even a short period of water restriction can disrupt metabolic processes and compromise immune systems, especially in younger calves or pregnant cows.
In addition to animal health concerns, water shortages also strain the infrastructure needed to support cattle operations. Many ranchers have had to haul water long distances, install costly piping systems, or invest in expensive monitoring technology just to maintain basic access to hydration for their herds. These added costs come on top of inflationary pressure on feed and fuel, creating an unsustainable financial burden for many small to mid-sized ranchers.
The availability of quality forage is also linked to water. Pastures rely on regular rainfall to produce the grass that cattle graze. Without it, ranchers must supplement diets with hay or grain, both of which require water to grow and are subject to volatile market prices. According to the USDA, hay prices reached a record high in 2023 due to drought conditions in the West, increasing feed costs for cattle producers nationwide.
In Canada, cattle producers are seeing similar challenges. Alberta, home to over 40% of the country’s beef herd, has experienced back-to-back dry seasons. Ranchers there have reported shrinking water sources and declining pasture conditions, with some even selling off cattle to reduce pressure on limited resources.
While Cow Appreciation Day is often treated as a lighthearted moment, the reality behind the industry is sobering. As climate patterns shift and drought becomes a more regular feature of North America’s agricultural map, the need to prioritize smart water use is becoming more urgent than ever.
Ensuring a future for cattle in North America will mean investing in better water infrastructure, supporting drought-resilient practices, and helping ranchers adapt to the changing conditions ahead.
