Research: Developing a Drought Early Warning System and Indices for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

With this project, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) plan to to develop a drought early warning system dashboard and local indices for streamflow, baseflow and groundwater levels; prepare a conservation plan; and expand monitoring of springs in the upper Umatilla River Basin and of groundwater levels in the southern portion of the UIR (drilling two wells, shallow and deep). 

With this project, the CTUIR will address drought variability, forecast its onset/recovery, conduct research, plan for mitigation, and share this information with the Umatilla Indian Reservation community, other tribes, state and federal agencies, and the broader scientific and environmental communities. 

NIDIS is funding this research through the FY 2022 Coping with Drought Competition – Building Tribal Drought Resilience. To learn more, view the full research profile.