Pacific Northwest Tribal Nations Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar: July 25, 2024

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest Tribal Nations Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar

Speaker: Crystal Stiles | Tribal Engagement Coordinator, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)

• Welcome to the Pacific Northwest Tribal Nations Drought & Climate Outlook webinar. 
• Introduction of partners who helped produce the July 10 Special Edition Drought Status Update for Pacific Northwest Tribal Nations and this webinar.

Drought and Climate Update and Outlook

Speaker: Karin Bumbaco | Deputy State Climatologist, Office of the Washington State Climatologist, University of Washington

• Current conditions: 
  • Below-normal snowpack occurred across a large part of the region this year. The deficit was largely driven by above-normal temperatures. Due to concerns over water supply, the state of Washington issued a drought declaration in the spring.
  • April–June temperatures and precipitation were near normal to below normal across the region. However, July temperatures have been 8–10°F above normal in many areas, setting numerous records. July precipitation has been less than 5% of normal for some locations. As a result, a flash drought has developed across parts of the Pacific Northwest. 
  • Streamflows on the Olympic Peninsula are in the bottom 10th percentile, or much below normal, which is unusual for this early in the season. Therefore, drought impacts are expected to be more evident in this area.
  • Critical fire conditions have been present across most of the region, with many fires already burning. While not mentioned publicly during the webinar, residents in portions of the Colville Reservation in Washington were evacuated due to the Bridge Creek and Swawilla Fires.   
• Outlook:
  • The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 Day Outlook reflects increased probabilities for above-normal temperatures and a slight risk for high winds, which could exacerbate fire conditions.
  • The Climate Prediction Center’s Monthly and Seasonal Outlooks lean toward warmer- and drier-than-normal conditions for the interior Pacific Northwest and equal chances for normal, below-normal, or above-normal temperatures and precipitation for coastal areas.
  • La Niña conditions are expected to develop in the fall. For the Pacific Northwest, this often leads to cooler and wetter conditions, which would help alleviate drought conditions. 

Drought Impacts and Responses at the Nez Perce Tribe

Speaker:  Stefanie Krantz  | Climate Change Coordinator, Nez Perce Tribe Water Resources Division

• The traditional homelands of the Nimiipuu People (the Nez Perce Tribe) span from what is presently known as Wyoming to California. They have worked diligently to protect the species and areas that mean the most to them. 
• Lightning from recent thunderstorms has started fires, and low-elevation areas flooded as a result of the intense rainfall. 
• Drought and extreme events have affected all Tribal Nations in the region—from fires, to dead livestock, tourism impacts, degraded air quality, heat waves, and low streamflows. Some of the traditional fruits people gather were damaged by smoke. 
• The Nez Perce Reservation is at high risk for floods and fire due to its topography. 
• Water quality impacts include low flows, low dissolved oxygen, moving fish, and threats of harmful algal blooms. 
• With rising levels of carbon dioxide, Tribal Nations have started to take more actions related to climate adaptation. 
• Unmet minimum streamflows have become frequent from July–October. The Nez Perce Tribe determined that streams are overallocated and have not been meeting instream flow requirements, which impacts water rights. 
• The Nez Perce Tribe has a wetlands program and is advancing methods to build wetland resilience with their projects. 
• The Nez Perce Tribe has undertaken soil health and drought resilience projects with the aim to move more of the watershed to no-till and implement additional best management practices.      

Conclusion

Speaker: Crystal Stiles | CIRES, NOAA/NIDIS

• We prepared a resources page with links to climate partners’ web pages and their email addresses, as well as other potentially useful information. 
• A Pacific Northwest Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) Drought Status Update was just released. Note that it is not specific to Tribal Nations.
• A Pacific Northwest DEWS Climate and Drought Outlook Webinar will occur August 26 at 11 a.m. PT. Note that it is not specific to Tribal Nations.
• Sign up for NIDIS emails, especially the Pacific Northwest DEWS list and the tribal engagement newsletter, as well as drought alerts.

Resources

• Resources page from NIDIS and partners
• Universal Access to Clean Water for Tribal Communities (UACW)
  • UACW’s resources page
  • Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act Funding Handbook for Access to Clean Drinking Water in Tribal Communities