Drought Disaster at Largest Native American Reservation Could Impact Millions of Americans

A drought emergency brewing at the nation's largest Native American reservation could have negative impacts for millions of Americans heading into the peak of the summer. Where is the drought emerging, and what does this mean for those in the impact zone? Read on for all of the details of this impending crisis.

Navajo Nation Under Drought Emergency

The Navajo National Commission on Emergency Management officially declared a State of Emergency recently. The severe ongoing drought prompted the declaration across what is distinguished as the largest Native American reservation in the U.S. The persistent drought is currently affecting communities all across Navajo Nation.

Navajo Nation President Buu Van Nygren approved a formal resolution designed to recognize the deepening drought. The elevated drought has strained water supplies and lowered water levels across the region's reservoirs. This has inherently presented challenges for farmers and ranchers that depend on Mother Nature to provide the much-needed moisture. The lack of moisture has also reduced forage production across the reservation. Lastly, it goes without saying that drought conditions naturally increase the threat of wildfires, especially heading into the hot and dry summer season.

Nygren noted that "The health of our communities, livestock and natural resources depends on our ability to respond proactively to these challenging conditions." The leader went on to say that the "declaration allows us to coordinate resources, strengthen drought mitigation efforts and support the families who rely on agriculture and ranching for their livelihoods."

The Navajo declaration came on the heels of similar drought disaster designations put in place by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for counties within the Navajo Nation. In addition to the federal action, the states of New Mexico and Arizona have also taken emergency action to address the challenges brought on by the drought.

According to the Navajo Nation Drought Contingency Plan, the most critical concerns are declining water availability, the increased pressure put on grazing land for livestock, and reduced stock pond capacity. The commission has recommended earmarking $6.5 million from the Agricultural Infrastructure Fund to address the emerging issues. This money will be used for projects such as livestock water storage systems and windmill repairs.

The goal of releasing this funding is to improve the agricultural infrastructure so that the reservation can better handle these types of drought events in the future. This is especially important as climatologists continue to warn about the increased chances of long-term droughts in the future due to global warming.

The official declaration instructs individual divisions, departments, and programs within Navajo Nation to plan and launch emergency response efforts. The directive also encourages the local chapters of the reservation to activate their drought mitigation strategies.

The State of Emergency will remain in effect until it is formally rescinded or suspended, meaning that there is no clear timeline on when the declaration will end.

Impacts of the Drought at Navajo Nation to the Western U.S.

The impacts of this drought in this corner of the Desert Southwest reaches far beyond the borders of Navajo Nation. According to Harvard University, the Navajo Nation is the largest coal-producing tribe in the country. As such, the tribe is an important supplier of energy and natural resources to much of the Southwest. This is in addition to the vast contributions that the tribe makes to agricultural interests in the region through traditional crops and livestock.

The energy resources on the reservation direct a significant amount of electricity to the Southwest. The tribe is also instrumental in providing lumber to the southwestern U.S. and beyond.

Understanding the contributions that Navajo Nation makes to this part of the West makes it easy to see how a drought disaster on the reservation is likely to create a concerning ripple effect throughout the western U.S. and elsewhere. The most immediate concern is the chance of disruptions to the Southwest energy grid and the falling water levels along the Colorado River. These issues could cost the federal government millions of dollars in relief to those impacted.