Day: September 27, 2023

NIDIS Invests Approximately $2 Million to Build Tribal #Drought #Resilience

West Drought Monitor map September 19, 2023.

Click the link to read the article on the NOAA website:

NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) has announced approximately $2 million in funding for projects to support tribal drought resilience as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This investment will help tribal nations address current and future drought risk on tribal lands across the Western U.S. while informing decision-making and strengthening tribal drought resilience in a changing climate. 

Proposals may request funding of up to $700,000 total to be disseminated in the first year and expended over three years in the form of cooperative agreements. A total of 3–5 projects may be funded depending on the project budget requested. 

Applications should be developed by or in full partnership with tribal nations to fund the implementation of activities that address current and future drought risk in the context of a changing climate on tribal lands across the Western U.S. 

For the purposes of this competition, the “Western U.S.” is considered to be the areas within the following five NIDIS Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) regions: California-Nevada, Intermountain West, Missouri River Basin, Pacific Northwest, and Southern Plains. 

Competition activities could include but are not limited to conducting drought vulnerability assessments; developing drought plans and communication plans; and identifying primary drought impacts, optimal drought indicators, and/or triggers. Additional activities could include improving drought monitoring; developing drought dashboards with relevant drought data and real-time information; and demonstrating the application of drought data and information to enhance decision-making.

If the primary applicant is not a tribal government, full partnership with a tribal nation can be demonstrated by including at least one full investigator representing a federally recognized tribe on the project, and indicating through the budget and budget justification how funds are being disseminated to the tribal nation.

“NOAA’s Climate Program Office and the National Integrated Drought Information System take the responsibility to engage with tribal partners very seriously, and this funding opportunity is an example of that commitment,” said Wayne Higgins, Ph.D., director of the Climate Program Office. “With climate change impacts further stressing the water supply in the West, it is imperative that we work together to take on the drought challenges in our tribal communities.”

Important Dates:

  • Letters of Intent (LOI) are due on Thursday, November 2, 2023 by 11:59 p.m. ET. 
  • The deadline for application submission is Thursday, February 15, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. ET.
    • Letters of Intent or applications received after the above deadlines will not be reviewed or considered.

NIDIS will also be hosting two informational webinars:

Both informational webinars will be recorded and posted on the competition web page.

Read the NOAA press release, view the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Announcement, or learn more about the NIDIS Coping with Drought Competition.

Western states vote to narrow focus of #ColoradoRiver program: #Colorado’s commissioner, Becky Mitchell, supports ‘#drought #resilency tools’ — The #Telluride Daily Planet #COriver #aridification

The Colorado River is a source of irrigation, hydropower and drinking water for 40 million people in seven Western states. Source: The Water Desk via the Water Education Foundation

Click the link to read the article on The Telluride Daily Planet website (Ashley Burton). Here’s an excerpt:

Water commissioners from Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming are focusing on water demand management in the future of a conservation pilot program. The Upper Colorado River Commission met for a special meeting on Sept. 21 and heard an update regarding the System Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP)…Ultimately, the water commissioners unanimously voted to support narrowing the program in 2024 to focus on water demand management and tools for innovation and local drought resiliency. There was also emphasis during the meeting on improving upon what was learned in 2023…

Collum reviewed three options the commission had on the table for 2024. The first option was to have no program in 2024, but no commissioners spoke in favor of that option. The second option was to maximize water conservation.

Option three, unanimously favored by the commissioners, was presented during the meeting as: “Narrow the 2024 SCPP to explore Demand Management (DM) Studies and Support Innovation & Local Resiliency – implement recommended SCPP improvements AND narrow project criteria towards remaining DM questions and supporting innovation & local resiliency resulting in water conservation.”

[…]

Updated Colorado River 4-Panel plot thru Water Year 2022 showing reservoirs, flows, temperatures and precipitation. All trends are in the wrong direction. Since original 2017 plot, conditions have deteriorated significantly. Brad Udall via Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradudall/status/1593316262041436160

“…I think when we specifically look at the change in hydrology (and) the definite need for the cuts to happen where the cuts are needed in the lower basin,” Mitchell said. “I really want to think about resiliency on the home front and the thing that we do being focused on building security for our own states and our own water users. And so I think when we look at the implementation with the recommended improvements and the narrow project criteria that are focused on supporting innovation and local resiliency that results in water conservation.” — Becky Mitchell

Map credit: AGU