The Drought Impact Reporter http://droughtreporter.unl.edu Cheney, WA November 12, 2008

Drought Impact Reporter (DIR) On-line since July 2005 Searchable, multi-source database of drought impacts Combines data from multiple sources into a unified map Media, public, government, etc.

Why Record Drought’s Impacts? NDMC mission: To reduce vulnerability to drought before the next one happens Impacts point to vulnerability Mitigation and response

What’s in the Current DIR? NOAA 1% Gov’t 4.6% Public 4.2% Media 89% Other 1.2%

What’s in the Current DIR? 1. Impacts extracted from the Media

What’s in the Current DIR? 2. Impacts submitted by the public, government officials, and others ….

Who Uses This Information? Public A voice in the policy process Decision makers / resource managers Drought Monitor Early indicator of drought conditions?? “Ground truth” scientific indices

User Report Regarding Drought Monitor July 4, 2006 August 1, 2006

DIR 2.0 Enhancements More user-friendly design More efficient use of screen space Improved searching and mapping

DIR 2.0 Enhancements More user-friendly design More efficient use of screen space Improved searching and mapping Change in category names

Impact Categories Current Planned Report Categories Agriculture Business & Industry Energy Fire Plants & Wildlife Relief, Response, & Restrictions Society & Public Health Tourism & Recreation Water Supply & Quality Report Categories

DIR 2.0 Enhancements More user-friendly design More efficient use of screen space Improved searching and mapping Change in category names Distinguishes between reports and impacts

Reports vs. Impacts Report: Contains a wider range of information – baseline info, speculative/vague reports, impacts an early indicator! Impact: Contains a narrow range of information – only impacts quantifiable, observable, location- and time-specific In the new DIR we will be collecting a wider range of information than just strictly impacts. As I’ll describe in more detail in a few minutes, we’ll be collecting base-line information, which describes conditions during non-drought periods. Also, we’ll begin tracking information that is more speculative (i.e. the impacts haven't actually occurred yet, but are predicted to occur in the future) and info that doesn’t yet contain the level of detail we require to be considered a “drought impact”. Over the past several years we’ve found that this very early, speculative information is an excellent indicator of problems to come, and tracking this wider range of information increases our awareness of emerging drought conditions and hardships. So by design, everything that comes into the DIR, all media and non-media (i.e. public, gov’t, etc.) submitted information, becomes a report. Once this information is submitted, staff at the NDMC reviews the information and flags certain reports as also containing “impact” information. What is their criteria? In the DIR an “impact” is non-base-line information that is quantifiable, observable, and happens in a defined place at a specific time.

Washington with reports and impacts

DIR 2.0 Enhancements More user-friendly design More efficient use of screen space Improved searching and mapping Change in category names Distinguishes between reports and impacts New “submit a report” form Ability to add photos

What are Baseline reports?? The Drought Impact Reporter offers the option to become a regular “drought spotter.” This includes providing baseline information that will allow others to understand the difference between what you see or experience in times of drought and in times of normal or plentiful water supply. Please check “Baseline Report” to submit a report that will serve as a basis for comparison but that does not reflect current drought. We recommend that drought spotters report at regular intervals, perhaps quarterly, when they are not experiencing a drought, and more frequently, perhaps monthly, when there is a drought. We recommend choosing from one to three key characteristics that are vulnerable to drought, such as the condition of a particular type of vegetation, the need to irrigate, or river or reservoir levels.

Optional

Add Drought Impact Photos Photographer Date Place What does it show? How would it look in a non-drought year? Permission to use? Allows up to 5 photos per submission October 2006 October 2007 Photos of Morgan Creek, North Carolina, from Jody Seim Timmins

Who Can Submit a Report? “Users” Anyone interested in reporting the impacts of drought!! NOAA 1% Gov’t 4.6% Public 4.2% Media 89% Other 1.2% We need to increase non-media reporting! You can become a “drought spotter” “Users”

Networks to Add NWS Drought Reports CoCoRaHS State reports: water systems, wildfire, burn bans Cropwatchers Extension Agents State agencies, organizations, researchers

Activity - Submit a Report Agriculture Business & Industry Energy Fire Plants & Wildlife Relief, Response, & Restrictions Society & Public Health Tourism & Recreation Water Supply & Quality Report Categories Exercise 1: Pick a “Report Category” from the list and submit a report by filling out the Drought Impact Reporter Submission Form. Be as descriptive as possible with comparisons between drought and non-drought periods. Please keep your report within two paragraphs. Exercise 2: Discuss with your group members the Report that you developed. Exercise 3: Now write the “Report Category” that you chose on a large sticky note and then place the note into similar groupings on the purple “sticky” wall.

Thank you! We welcome your participation and input as we improve the Drought Impact Reporter. Please contact: Melissa Widhalm mwidhalm3@unl.edu 402-472-3172