Measuring Soil Moisture Critical for Drought Relief

Experts from The Lower Colorado River Authority in Texas have serious concerns about the drought there. While some areas did recently get deluged with rain, the problem cannot be solved with just one storm. The main issue is soil moisture, below the surface of the ground. Since the state has been in drought conditions for so long, the flash flooding has washed away much of the topsoil, which is devastating to farmers, their crops and eventually livestock. One agency official said, "What you can't measure, you can't manage."

NASA is on the case however, and with the use of its SMAP satellite will be able to show if the levels of water underground are increasing and whether or not a predicted storm will help the moisture levels or simply wash away more of the ground.