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EPA Drought Response and Recovery Guide for Water Utilities
March 10, 2016
This guide from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides practical solutions to help drinking water utilities respond to and recover from drought - although it is not intended to serve as regulatory guidance. The interactive, user-friendly guide provides worksheets, best practices, videos and key resources for managing drought emergencies and building long-term resilience. It also relays lessons learned and case studies for seven small- to medium-sized utilities nationwide that have faced extreme drought conditions.
Resource Category: Solutions
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Long-Term Drought Resilience Federal Action Plan of the National Drought Resilience Partnership
March 2016
President Obama established the National Drought Resilience Partnership (NDRP) in November 2013 as part of his Climate Action Plan. On March 21, 2016, Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Building National Capabilities for Long-Term Drought Resilience, directing the NDRP to work collaboratively to deliver on a Federal Action Plan designed to complement state, regional, tribal and local drought preparedness, planning and implementation efforts. This Action Plan lays out a series of activities to fulfill the President’s drought resilience goals, which are intended to be undertaken in 2016 or 2017.
Resource Category: Planning
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Bureau of Reclamation Drought Response Program
2016
The Bureau of Reclamation's Drought Response Program provides assistance to water users for drought contingency planning, including for the consideration of climate change information and for taking actions that will build long-term resiliency to drought.
Resource Category: Funding
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California Drought Contingency Plan
January 15, 2016
The 2016 California Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), released by the Department of Water Resources, outlines potential Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) contractors water operations for February through November 2016. The DCP is a planning and implementation document that identifies strategies and actions state agencies should take to prepare for and respond to future droughts or other water shortage events. This state report demonstrates that conservation and preparedness will be essential to future water management in California.
Resource Category: Planning
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USFS: Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the U.S.
January 2016
From the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), “Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the United States,” is a 200+ page report focusing on drought characterization; drought impacts on forest processes and disturbances such as insect outbreaks and wildfire; and consequences for forest and rangeland values.
Authors or Affiliated Users: James M. Vose, James S. Clark, Charlie H. Luce, Toral Patel-Weynand
Resource Category: Assessments
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California SB 758 - Atmospheric Rivers: Research, Mitigation, and Climate Forecasting Program
October 9, 2015
California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 758 into law in October 2015, establishing the Atmospheric Rivers: Research, Mitigation, and Climate Forecasting Program in the Department of Water Resources (DWR). Led by DWR and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego (UCSD) the research aims to better manage water supply by expanding climate and weather research focused on the causes of drought and flood. The legislation supports research in climate forecasting and the causes and impacts that climate change has on atmospheric rivers, to operate reservoirs in a manner that improves flood protection in the state, and to reoperate flood control and water storage facilities to capture water generated by atmospheric rivers.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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Lessons on Climate Change and Poverty From the California Drought
August 19. 2015
This report describes how climate-related extreme weather events exacerbate existing socioeconomic inequalities. In this case, the report highlights the disproportionate challenges experienced by frontline communities during the California drought that began in 2012, which includes communities of color and low-income people living in tribal, rural, and farming communities. The report discusses the following topics: the causes and severity of California’s drought; the drought’s impacts on the national food system; demographics, water rights, and drought impacts in agricultural communities; and policy recommendations.
Author or Affiliated User: Wendy Ortiz
Resource Category: Solutions
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Austin, Texas: Preparing for Water Scarcity and Drought
August 19, 2015
Developed by the Georgetown Climate Center, this case study discusses how the City of Austin, Texas agencies are preparing for climate change impacts to water supply and increasing drought. It examines how city agencies are developing a climate adaptation plan, assessing climate change risks across sectors, establishing of a Water Resource Planning Task Force, and developing recommendations to address long-term reductions in the city’s water supply in response to recent city council resolutions.
Author or Affiliated User: Aaron Ray
Resource Category: Solutions
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Oregon EO 15-09: Directing State Agencies to Plan for Resiliency to Drought, To Meet the Challenge that a Changing Climate Brings
July 27, 2015
Oregon Governor Brown's 2015 Executive Order on drought and climate change sets a goal to reduce water consumption by 15 percent or more on average across all state-owned facilities on or before December 31, 2020. The EO also directs agencies to update the state's overall planning for drought, including potential new tools to help communities deal with the impacts of water shortages.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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Colorado Water Conservation Board Drought Planning Toolbox
The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) Drought Planning Toolbox is designed to assist water users and local planners across the state in resiliency planning and response to drought.
Resource Category: Data and tools


