Recently, California was declared drought-free for the first time in nearly twenty-six years. But while some parts of Nevada appear in better shape on the map, Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada is deeply concerned about worsening drought conditions across our state.

Nevada is experiencing some of the lowest snowpack levels in more than forty years, as warming temperatures increasingly turn what should be winter snowfall into rain. This shift threatens the delicate balance that sustains our rivers, farms, wildlife, and communities.

Nevada’s snowpack is more than a seasonal feature, it functions as one of our most essential natural reservoirs. When snow fails to accumulate and melt gradually through spring, the water supplies that nourish our cities, irrigate crops, protect wildlife habitats, and support tribal and rural communities become strained. Water scarcity is not just an environmental challenge—it is a human one, affecting livelihoods, public health, and long-term community resilience.

As people of faith, we see this not simply as a weather anomaly, but as a moral and spiritual call to action.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America teaches in Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice that the Earth is a gift entrusted to our care, and that all life is interconnected through God’s good creation. The ELCA’s Earth’s Climate Crisis social message goes further, naming this time as a kairos moment—a decisive point in history when we are called to act boldly, faithfully, and urgently for the sake of God’s world and one another.

Grounded in these teachings, we affirm four commitments:

• Solidarity — Standing with rural, tribal, and agricultural communities who bear the earliest and greatest impacts of water loss.
• Sufficiency — Advocating that all people have enough to flourish—not only in emergency drought years, but for generations to come.
• Sustainability — Supporting policies and planning that protect the long-term health of Nevada’s watersheds, ecosystems, and communities.
• Participation — Ensuring Nevadans—including congregations—have a voice in water and climate decisions, with transparency and equity at the center.

With these values in mind, we urge Nevada’s leaders to:

• 1. Invest in long-term water resiliency, including snowpack monitoring, watershed restoration, and drought-adaptation planning.
• 2. Support climate-smart policies that reduce emissions and slow warming trends driving rain-instead-of-snow patterns.
• 3. Guarantee meaningful participation from impacted communities—especially tribes, rural counties, and agricultural regions.
• 4. Fund public education and local preparedness, ensuring Nevadans understand both the risks and the solutions.

This moment calls all of us—government, communities, faith partners, and individuals—to take shared responsibility so that Nevada’s watersheds can sustain life in the decades ahead.

As Lutherans in this state, we believe God calls us to co-create a world where all can thrive. We pray for wisdom in policymaking, courage in public leadership, and resilience among those most affected by drought and water scarcity.

We stand ready to partner with all who seek justice, sustainability, and faithful stewardship for Nevada’s sacred land, rivers, and people.