Navajo Nation Drought Contingency Plan 2004 Lessons Learned

1
Navajo Nation Drought Contingency Plan
2004Lessons Learned

• In Cooperation With
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
• Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management
• Navajo Nation Depart. of Water Resources-Water
  Mgnt. Branch

2
Goals and Objectives

• Provide an effective and systematic means of
  assessing drought conditions.
• Develop mitigation actions and programs to reduce
  risk in advance of drought
• Develop response options that minimize hardships
  during drought

3
Background
Information

• On-reservation population is gt 183,000
• Encompasses more than 27,000 square miles
• Per capita is less than ½ the U.S. average
• 25-40 haul water for domestic use
• Livestock are a 20 million per year industry
• Traditional agriculture is worth 2 million
• The Navajo Nation is confronted w/ frequent dry
  seasons

4
Navajo Nation Government

• Commission on Emergency Management (CEM) serves
  as the Nations emergency response commission,
  similar to the State emergency response
  commission, pursuant to the Federal Emergency
  Planning and Community-Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
• Within the Executive Branch, the Divisions of
  Public Safety and Natural Resources have key
  roles in drought response

5
Commission on Emergency Management

• Composed of six appointed individuals from the
  areas of law enforcement, health, fire fighting,
  environment, media and an elected official
• With the concurrence of the Navajo Nation
  President declare a state of emergency
• On behalf of the Navajo Nation, assist in seeking
  assistance from other government agencies

6
Division of Public Safety

• Department of Emergency Management (DEM) which
  coordinates emergency responses w/ NN divisions,
  departments, local communities, and with federal,
  state, and county agencies
• DEM develops and implements emergency procedures,
  and supervises emergency management services
  during declared emergencies

7
Division of Natural Resources

• Oversees and manages 11 Departments
• Department of Water Resources (DWR) is the
  primary department responsible for water
  resources
• DWR is composed of
• Safety of Dams Branch
• Technical Construction and Operation Branch
• Water Code Administration
• Water Management Branch

8
Climate of the Navajo Nation

• The NN climate is semi-arid region with periods
  of little to no rain, when a drought occurs the
  impacts are significant.
• Monsoon season during July, August and
  September
• Average annual precipitation range from 7 to 16
  inches

9
Drought Vulnerability

• Navajo water users vulnerable to drought
• Domestic water haulers
• Public drinking systems
• Irrigators and dryland farmers
• Ranchers
• Recreation, wildlife and forestry

10
Navajo Nation Drought Monitoring

• Categories of Drought Impacts Meteorological,
  Agricultural, Hydrological and Socioeconomic.
• Drought Indices After reviewing several indices,
  the DWR selected the Six-month Standard
  Precipitation Index (SPI) as the most accurate
  and useful definition of drought determination
  for the Navajo Nation.
• The SPI comes from the Western Regional Climate
  Center and Navajo Nation Water Management
  Branchs Climate Program.

11
Proposed Navajo Nation Drought Monitoring

• 3 Components
• To highlight and disseminate the 6 month SPI for
  all 3 climate divisions of the reservation
• To relay information from the National Drought
  Mitigation Center to the appropriate Navajo
  Nation contacts
• To provide Navajo Nation climate data and develop
  a Navajo Nation SPI for each Navajo Agency

12
Drought Mitigation

• Mitigation includes short and long term actions,
  programs, or policies implemented to reduce the
  degree of risk to people, property, and
  productive capacity
• It also reduces the cost of responding to
  drought.

13
Navajo Nation Drought Mitigation Categories

• Drought Monitoring
• Domestic Water Haulers
• Public Drinking Water Systems
• Irrigation and dryland farmers
• Ranchers
• Recreation, wildlife and forestry
• Reuse of treated effluent

14
Mitigation - Drought Monitoring

• Climate monitoring is the basis for defining
  drought and triggering response.
• Mitigation Measures
• Reliable Internet Access and a Navajo Nation
• drought information web site
• Improve the Navajo Nation climate network

15
Mitigation - Domestic Water Haulers

• Mitigation Measures
• Improve storage facilities for water haulers
• To set up pay per fill watering stations
• Drought gasoline voucher programs similar to the
  livestock assistance program

16
Mitigation - Public Drinking Water Systems

• Mitigation Measures
• Diversify the source of water by adding
  non-alluvial wells
• To add additional storage tanks to public water
  systems
• Develop regional water system to meet demands
  over a 40-year period

17
Mitigation - Irrigators and Dryland Farmers

• Mitigation Measures
• Preparing water conservation and management
  plans, e.g., increasing irrigation efficiency,
  incorporating water users associations, improving
  the prediction of the timing and duration of the
  peak runoff, drilling of shallow alluvial wells.
• Improving reservoir operations
• Rehabilitating irrigation projects

18
Mitigation - Ranchers

• Mitigation Measures
• Establish an effective Navajo Nation Grazing
  Policy
• Improve range management through education
• Provide additional assistance to ranchers
• Improve the reliability of livestock supplies
• Promote Livestock Sales
• Public Awareness for WNV and Botulism

19
Mitigation - Recreation Wildlife

• Mitigation Measures
• Establish minimum pool levels within reservation
  reservoirs at a level of at least 5 feet deep to
  reduce catastrophic fish kills.
• Irrigation would be discontinued if reservoir
  levels fall below these levels.
• Use of a water permit would determine water
  availability.

20
Mitigation - Forestry

• Mitigation Measures for Fire Prevention
• Fire Detection Suppression
• Forest Restoration

21
Mitigation - Reuse of Treated Waste Water

• Mitigation Measures
• Use for construction purposes
• For the re-establishment of riparian areas
• Explore other avenues of use for recreation,
  athletic fields, agriculture, wildlife and other
  areas.

22
(No Transcript)
23
Recommend Responses for Normal Conditions (SPI gt
0.0)

• Department of Water Resources (DWR) Water
  Management Branch (WMB)
• Department of Emergency Management (DEM)
• Commission on Emergency Management (CEM)
• Chapters

24
Recommended Responses for Mild Conditions (SPI
between 0.0 0.99)

• DWR- WMB
• DEM
• Department of Agriculture
• Navajo Nation President
• Drought Task Force (Division Directors)
• CEM
• Chapters

25
Recommended Responses for Moderate Conditions
(SPI between 1.00 1.49)

• DWR- WMB
• DEM
• Department of Agriculture
• Navajo Nation President
• Drought Task Force (Division Directors)
• CEM

• Chapters
• NTUA
• Grazing Districts
• Farm Boards
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts

26
Recommended Responses for Severe or Emergency
Conditions (SPI lt -1.50)

• Chapters
• NTUA
• Grazing Districts
• Farm Boards
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts

• DWR- WMB
• DEM
• Dept. of Agriculture
• Navajo Nation President
• Drought Task Force (Division Directors)
• CEM

27
Distribution of Drought Contingency Plan

• In 2002 distributions were made to all Chapters,
  Delegates, Divisions, Farm Boards, Soil Water
  Conservation Districts, Federal, State and other
  agencies
• Available at the NN Records Management Department
  -- Approximately 20.00/copy

28
Lessons Learned-2002 to 2003

• Education is key!
• Navajo Nation Drought Task Force
• Rather than reacting, mitigation of drought
  issues.
• Rethinking indices for drought stages.
• When do you declare a drought emergency?
• Revision of Drought Contingency Plan.
• Again, education is essential!

29
Key Mitigation Efforts

• Dissemination and education of all stakeholders.
• Revisiting Navajo Nation Grazing Act.
• Identifying drought vulnerability
• Identifying outside resources
• 2003 1 million from USBR for drought mitigation
• 2004 900K from USBR for drought mitigation.

30
Questions and Answer

• Department of Water Resources-Water Management
  Branch
• Office 928-729-4004 FAX [phone]
• Jolene Tallsalt Robertson, Hydrologist,
  jolenetrobertson_at_mail.navajo.org
• Robert Kirk, Hydrologist, robertkirk_at_mail.navajo
  .org
• Teresa Showa, Hydrologist, teresashowa_at_mail.nava
  jo.org
• Department of Emergency Management
• Office 928-871-6892 FAX[phone]
• Jimson Joe, Program Manager,