Wherever we find ourselves when a rain shower hits, I’m willing to wager that water conservation is one of the last things on our minds in those moments and the weeks that follow. It’s easy to think about conserving water when our streams are visibly parched and the word “drought” meets us at every turn but what about when it’s raining?

While some rain showers might help plants perk up and distract us from conserving water, they’re more like a band-aid than a cure – a drought’s impacts generally can’t be washed away with a small dose or two of rainwater. Even torrential rains or thunderstorms that dump a lot of water in a short amount of time don’t necessarily relieve an area of its drought hardships.

We can play a role in protecting our shared waters by using our water wisely all the time, not just during dry months. Conserving water can be easy and if we make living with less a conscious part of our daily lives, it will become second nature before we know it. That’s when we can really make a long-term impact when conserving water becomes so normal and ingrained in our lives and communities that it’s weird not to do so.

By conserving water as a way of life, we’re making a better future possible. For our rivers, our wildlife, our economy, our kids, and for all the adventures to come.