Drought Fact Sheet #11

The Need for a Drought Plan and How to Develop One

What is a Drought and Why Should I Care?
Historically drought has been associated with stories about the depression of the 1930s, the dustbowl, the displacement of farmers and large-scale environmental devastation. This whole issue seems very remote from our daily lives even though these same events are currently playing themselves out in places around the world. Sub-Sahara Africa and Northern China are two areas we hear about often. So, what is a drought? How do we define it? Why should we care? What is a Drought? A drought is sometimes defined as a prolonged dry period or a shortage or deficiency of rainfall. Drought can also be defined as being a significant departure from the normal pattern of rainfall. The truth is that drought events are a normal part of our climatic variation. Something as simple as a shift in the rainfall pattern from the summer crop growing months to the winter season could result in greater runoff, with less water available for the production of summer crops even though the annual rainfall was within normal ranges. This same shift could mean increased demand on municipal water systems for the maintenance of residential landscapes. How Do We Define Drought? Nationally, there are several indexes that help us define a drought. Details of these methods can be found in the National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils Drought Planning Guide and at www.drought.unl.edu/whatis/what.htm
A Drought Plan can help alleviate the impacts of a drought.

These methods are focused on national or regional drought prediction and may or may not accurately represent the impacts to your individual community. Ultimately, as with the old saying about politics, all droughts are local. If a river dries up or a manufacturing plant closes due to lack of water, that may have a very significant local impact but may not trigger a regional drought designation. Unfortunately, dealing with a drought is often not just a local problem. Watersheds and their associated waterways and aquifers may include dozens of other communities. These other users may be affected by the same events to a lesser or greater extent. A Drought Plan can help define other users and how the various interests will work together to address the impacts of a drought.

Why Should I Care if There Is a Drought? The potential impacts of a drought include both economic and social displacement and a general loss in quality of life. If a drought results in the loss of agricultural production, there will be impacts to many other segments of the local economy. Equipment sales will suffer, the processors and transporters of the products will suffer, and retail business may see an impact as well. If the drought is significant and sustained, there may be loss of employment resulting in relocation of families to areas with better employment opportunities. Drought can also lessen our quality of life due to water rationing by municipal water providers. Not being able to wash your car or water your lawn when you want to may seem relatively insignificant compared to losing your livelihood. What this demonstrates, however, is that the impact of water shortage affects everyone whether they are a municipal, agricultural or industrial user. Everyone has a stake in having a reliable water supply. A clear plan allowing all water users to anticipate the impacts of drought is essential to cooperation between the affected parties. How Does a Community Develop a Drought Plan? The National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils can provide an excellent manual titled The Drought Planning Guide for citizens to use while developing a Drought Plan. This guide includes eleven steps that can be taken to develop an effective plan for dealing with drought events. Also included is a number of protective steps that a community can take

to protect the quality as well as the volume of their water. Copies of this document can be obtained by e-mailing www.narcdc@rcdnet.org or by calling (202) 434-4780. Another excellent resource to use in developing a Drought Plan is the National Drought Mitigations Center at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Their information can be accessed at www.drought.unl.edu. The site includes five major areas of focus and numerous references and current professional publications on drought prediction and planning. The site includes a section specifically focused on the development of Drought Plans and has some state plans that can be accessed. The National Drought Mitigation Center can be reached at (402) 472-6707 for additional information.
The NARC&DC would like to thank the USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service for their assistance in the development of this fact sheet.

Everyone has a stake in having a reliable water supply.

National Association of RC&D Councils 444 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 345 Washington, D.C. 20001 Phone: (202) 434-4780 Fax: (202) 434-4783 E-mail: narcdc@rcdnet.org Visit us at: www.rcdnet.org
All programs and services of the NARC&DC are offered on a non-discriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital or family status, disability, or political beliefs. March, 2006