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the reservoirs—some of which are set to protect threatened and endangered mussel
populations. An agricultural drought represents difficulty for the region’s agricultural-based
economy and is also relatively easy to monitor based on crop viabilities for different regions.
Periods of drought are normal occurrences in the region as a whole. Drought in the area is
caused by severely inadequate amounts of precipitation that adversely affect farming and
ranching, surface and ground water supplies, and uses of surface waters for navigation and
recreation. Drought can also create favorable conditions for wildfires and wind erosion (See
Section 3.3.20 Wildfire and Section 3.3.16 Soil Erosion and Dust).
The impacts of drought can be categorized as economic, environmental, or social. Many
economic impacts occur in agriculture and related sectors, including increasing food prices
globally. In addition to obvious losses in yields in both crop and livestock production, drought is
associated with increases in insect infestations, plant disease, and wind erosion. Droughts also
bring increased problems with insects and disease to forests and reduce growth. The incidence
of wildfires increases substantially during extended droughts, which in turn places both human
and wildlife populations at higher levels of risk. Income loss is another indicator used in
assessing the impacts of drought because so many sectors are affected.
Although environmental losses are difficult to quantify, increasing public awareness and concern
for environmental quality has forced public officials to focus greater attention and resources on
these effects. Environmental losses are the result of damages to plant and animal species,
wildlife habitat, and air and water quality, wildfires, degradation of landscape quality, loss of
biodiversity, and soil erosion. Some of the effects are short-term and conditions quickly return
to normal following the end of the drought. Other environmental effects linger for some time or
may even become permanent. Wildlife habitat, for example may be degraded through the loss
of wetlands, lakes, and vegetation. However, many species will eventually recover from this
temporary aberration. The degradation of landscape quality, with increased soil erosion, may
lead to a more permanent loss of biological productivity of the landscape.
Although drought is not predictable, long-range outlooks may indicate an increased chance of
drought, which can serve as a warning (P.L. 109-430 established a National Integrated Drought
Information System within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve
drought monitoring and forecasting capabilities http://www.drought.gov/drought/). A drought
period can last for months, years, or even decades. It is rarely a direct cause of death, though
the associated heat, dust, and stress can all contribute to increased mortality.
Location
All of Region L is at risk, and has been in a drought 10% to 14.9% of the 100 years that span
1895 – 1995. Drought affects agricultural land as well as the urban landscape and can put
stress on homeowners should their property have structural issues due to lack of moisture
content in the soil. Another issue would be power production should the Missouri and Kansas
Rivers become extremely low, and wildfires could increase threatening land, property, and
people.
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