‘Unprecedented low water levels’ in northern, central B.C. raise fears for future of wildlife

October’s long dry spell in the northwest of British Columbia may be coming to an end with rain in the forecast, but the prolonged drought — which reached a level 4 warning in some areas — is already having adverse effects on wildlife in the region.
At the beginning of the week, Prince Rupert had seen only a couple of days of rain in October — which is highly unusual for the typically soggy city.
"We’ve been seeing unprecedented low water levels," said Cleveland, who hasn’t seen anything like it in his 25 years on the job.
"Frankly, it’s very concerning."
"Beavers block the entire river in four different locations, salmon are basically stuck behind these beaver dams," he said.
"We’re also seeing very high predation rates on these salmon from grizzly bears … [The salmon] are sitting ducks, they have to travel tens of kilometres with their backs out of the water."
Cleveland said he’s worried about how prolonged low water levels will impact the salmons’ future.
"Right now, they’re just kind of sitting in a mud puddle."
"I don’t think either the politicians nor the media have really focused on what we should be doing about adapting to these new conditions because they are going to come more frequently," said Hans Schreier, a UBC professor emeritus of land and water systems.
Schreier​ said more needs to be done at a governmental level to better manage water resources.

Millions secured for drought-relief

MORE than R150-million will be streaming into Kouga’s coffers over the next few months to help the municipality secure extra water for the drought-stricken region.
Two funding applications for drought-relief, submitted by Kouga Municipality, have both been fully approved by National Treasury and the decision promulgated in the Government Gazette.
Wecoming the total allocation of R151,228 million, Kouga Executive Mayor Horatio Hendricks said it was a proud moment for the municipality to have its funding application approved in full.
“Very seldom are applications fully funded by the relevant provincial and national government departments.
“I want to thank our municipal officials for the hard work that went into compiling the applications, and the Kouga Council for ensuring that the municipality could be trusted to spend the allocation well,” he said.
“It is a great win for our communities and will have a massive impact on the municipality’s ability to supply water to all residents in a sustainable manner.” Kouga Municipality submitted the applications following the 2018 national budget speech in which the Minister of Finance announced that R6-billion would be set aside in 2018/2019 for drought-relief.
Municipalities had two chances to apply, with Kouga making use of both opportunities.
The allocation process was managed by National Treasury, with inputs from sector departments and the National Disaster Management Centre.
Continued on page 3

Cost of drought: Less water from Lake Mead in 2020, higher rates

LAKE MEAD – Swaths of mineral-stained white rock, more than 100 feet tall, mark Lake Mead’s basin, punctuating decades of drought in the Southwest.
He and his wife, Cheri, stood on the shore of Lake Mead, which they have been visiting for seven years.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, responsible for divvying up Lake Mead’s water and electric power, in August reported a 57 percent chance that Lake Mead’s water levels would be so dismal in 2020 that Arizona and Nevada would face cutoffs.
Thanks to our donors and sponsors for their support of local independent reporting.
If Lake Mead’s water level falls below 1,050 feet, Arizona would lose an additional 80,000 acre-feet of water, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
Conserving, collaborating, banking Conservation programs continue to be a point in the state’s favor.
California, the most populous state in the country, has some disadvantages compared to Arizona when it comes to storing water, Porter said.
“So they have a need for it that is more immediate.” Arizona has not needed its entire allocation of water from Lake Mead, Porter said, so CAP and the Arizona Water Banking Authority have used the excess to recharge aquifers.
Beaches, boat ramps updated as Mead drops The recreational opportunities brought on by drought at Lake Mead National Recreation Area also come at a cost – $2 million in investments to adjust to every 10-foot drop in the water level.
The Bureau of Reclamation predicts they are likely to stay above water, at least for the next few years, so there’s time enough to enjoy drought’s upside.

ND counties eligible for extreme drought funding assistance

FARGO — The North Dakota State Water Commission added Benson, Eddy, Foster, Grand Forks, Griggs, Nelson, Ramsey, Steele and Walsh counties to those eligible for funding assistance through the Drought Disaster Livestock Water Supply Assistance Program.
The above counties have been added due to ongoing dry conditions in the northeastern portion of the state, including D3 or “extreme drought” designations by the National Drought Mitigation Center for three counties in that area.
The program provides 50 percent cost-share assistance of up to $3,500 per project, with a maximum of three projects per applicant, to eligible livestock producers in designated counties experiencing drought-related impacts to their livestock operations.
Eligible items include new water wells, rural water system connections, pipeline extensions and pasture taps and associated works, labor, and materials to complete and develop new drought-resilient water supply projects.
For additional details about the program, visit the water commission’s website at www.swc.nd.gov and scroll down to “Drought Disaster Livestock Water Supply Project Assistance Program.” For specific questions about program eligibility, call 701-328-4989 or email swclivestock@nd.gov.

Extreme drought prompts Utah governor to declare state of emergency

A long and difficult fire season.
Gary Herbert announced a state of emergency due to the extreme drought, calling on aid and assistance from the State Emergency Operations Plan.
Drought harms our industries, agriculture, recreation and wildlife, and it worsens wildfire conditions and air quality," Herbert said.
A dry period lasted for almost five years from 2012 to 2016 until heavy snowfall arrived in December 2016 and January 2017, according to a report from the Utah Drought Review and Reporting Committee.
If we all look for opportunities to conserve, we can keep a lot more water in our reservoirs, which will really help if we have another dry winter."
In agriculture, ranchers are selling their livestock due to loss of winter and summer pastures, according to the review report.
Officials reported at least 15 Utah ranchers applied for emergency livestock watering assistance for nearly 10,000 head of cattle as of Sept. 10.
Many municipal water systems have enough water for the next few years, according to the report.
Drought conditions also affect tourism in rural counties as people stop visiting depleting local reservoirs.
"Because of the extreme dry conditions, the risk of starting a fire is just as likely after the rain event as was before," the report stated.

Govt urged to initiate drought resistant plantation in Thar

KARACHI: ‘Consecutive droughts, climate change, shortage of water, mismanagement of local natural resources, population growth, dependence on rain-fed agriculture, less importance given to livestock management on scientific basis are the main causes of food insecurity in Thar’ This was said by speakers on the occasion of World Food Day which was observed on Tuesday.
Amber attributed the food insecurity in arid and semi-arid areas of Sindh to consecutive droughts, shortage of water, mismanagement of local natural resources, population growth, dependency on rain fed agriculture and less importance given to livestock management on scientific basis.
Woman community activist, Fatima said that Thari people were facing the issue of food shortage due to scanty monsoon rains.
She said that pre-drought, the Thari populace used to harvest wild fruits and vegetables, dry them and store them for later.
She demanded that the government of Sindh launch a special campaign for drought resistant trees plantation in Thar and women be given the task of nurturing those saplings on a paid basis.
“People in Thar rely on livestock for sustenance.
If there is no livestock, people will lose access to milk, butter and yogurt and that would worsen the malnutrition issue,” explained Sand.
He also urged the government to initiative development activities in remote villages of Thar in order to generate employment for the locals.
Jhaman Das said that food items available in local market of Thar were low quality products.
“As a result, people of Thar suffer from health conditions,” he shared.

New research identifies two types of drought across China and how they evolve

Recently, heat extremes have become more frequent in a warming climate, and substantially increased the occurrence of flash drought, which has severely threatened crop yields and water supply.
Dr. Linying WANG and Professor Xing YUAN, from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, used in-situ observations and reanalysis datasets to explore the long-term variability and trends of two types of flash drought.
Type I flash drought is high-temperature driven, combined with increased evapotranspiration (ET) and decreased soil moisture; while type II flash drought is initialized by a lack of rainfall, and combined with decreased ET and warmer temperatures.
They further examined the spatial distribution characteristics of flash drought under two different physical mechanisms and the connection with seasonal drought, and uncovered some interesting findings.
As explained by Dr. Linying WANG, "The anticyclonic circulation patterns can provide favorable conditions for both types of flash drought.
But, as the local climate, vegetation and soil moisture conditions are quite different, the spatial distributions of the two types of flash drought are different as well.
"Composite analysis showed that anomalously high temperatures one pentad before the onset of flash drought leads to a rapid increase in ET and reduced soil moisture.
For flash drought associated with seasonal drought, there is a greater likelihood of occurrence during the onset phase of seasonal drought over southern China.
In northern China, meanwhile, due to the limited terrestrial moisture supply, ET decreases with the decrease in soil moisture, resulting in Type II flash drought.
### Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert!

Drought puts millions of Afghans in urgent need of food — UN

At least 3-million Afghans are in "urgent" need of food and could face famine if they do not get help, the UN warned on Monday, as the war-torn country battles the worst drought in living memory.
A dry spell mainly across northern and western Afghanistan has devastated crops, livestock and water supplies, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.
The drought comes at a terrible time for the country, which is already grappling with a 17-year conflict and is preparing to hold a parliamentary election that is three years late.
"Those people are surviving on less than one meal a day and in all likelihood that meal is bread and tea."
Lanzer said the 3-million people hardest hit were in the "emergency" phase four of a widely used food insecurity index – one level below famine.
The figure was "among the highest in the world" and they needed "the most urgent response", he said.
"If we don’t [reach them] there’s a risk that these people go into level five," Lanzer said.
Aid groups distributed basic commodities, including wheat flour fortified with minerals, oil and lentils, to 600,000 people in September, Lanzer said.
Lanzer said the figures were "far worse than we had anticipated" and he warned the situation could deteriorate as temperatures fall during the winter months.
The drought affecting more than half of Afghanistan was triggered by a huge shortfall in snow and rain last winter.

Farmers facing drought are on the front line of climate change

It looks as though the spring rains are going to be light, so I’m making plans to tighten my belt and sell more of my stock if I have to.
Farmers in many areas are still experiencing worse conditions than where I live.
If the drought doesn’t break before Christmas there will be a social catastrophe across regional Australia.
Regional Australians, particularly farmers, are on the front line of the impacts of climate change.
On Monday I travelled to Canberra to launch a new vision for regional Australia.
A vision based on moving beyond extractivism to rejuvenate and revitalise our farms, our ecosystems and our communities.
It will reinvigorate the small communities where they live.
Our prime agricultural land is already grappling with the harsh realities of a changing climate.
The Rural Futures Report is the product of extensive discussions with experts, farmers and rural Australians.
It is time for politicians to face reality and stand up for the future of rural Australia.

Gov. Herbert declares State of Emergency due to Utah’s drought

SALT LAKE CITY (News4Utah) – Governor Gary Herbert issued an executive order Monday declaring a State of Emergency due to Utah’s drought.
The drought declaration was a recent recommendation of the Utah Drought Review and Reporting Committee.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2018 (October 2017-September 2018) was officially Utah’s driest year on record.
In a statement, Governor Herbert said: "Such difficult conditions are harming the quality of life and the livelihoods of many Utah families and agricultural producers.
The ramifications of drought extend beyond our depleted water supply.
Gov.
Herbert also asks Utahns to use water wisely year round.
Water conservation suggestions include: Fixing any leaks Only running dishwashers or washing machines when they are full Turning off the water while brushing teeth Reducing showers by at least one minute Reservoir storage facts and updates: All of Utah’s 29 counties are experiencing some level of drought.
Eight of Utah’s top 49 reservoirs are less than five percent full.
A full list of reservoir levels is available here: Reservoir Levels Additional conservation resources: For conservation tips and tricks, visit Slow the Flow To see what rebates are available in your area, visit Utah Water Savers To learn how to upgrade the aesthetics and water sustainability of your landscape, visit LocalScapes.com