Effect of Drought on the Southwest

The Effects of the Drought in the South-West

Environmental Impacts	Social Impacts	Economic Impacts
Animal Species Degradation and extinction of wildlife Lack of feed and drinking water Higher mortality rates Disease Overgrazing near water sources Migration and concentration Increased stress to endangered species Loss of biodiversity Loss of tress from urban areas	Health Mental and physical stress Reduction in nutrition Loss of human life Public safety from forest and range fires Increased respiratory ailments Increased diseease concentrations	Agricultural Producers Annual and perennial crop losses Damage to crop quality Income loss for farmers Reduced productivity of cropland Insect infestation Plant disease Wildlife damage to cropts Increased irrrigation costs Cost of new or supplemental water resource development (wells, dams, and pipelines).
Hydrological Effects Lower water levels in reservoirs, lakes, and ponds Reduced flow from springs Loss of wetlands Increased groundwater depletion, land subsidence, reduced recharge Water quality effects	Increased Conflicts Water usage conflicts Political conflicts Management conflicts	Livestock Producers Reduced productivity of rangeland Reduced milk production Forced reduction of foundation stock Closure/limitation of public grazing lands High cost and high unavailability of water for livestock High cost and high unavailability of feed Increased feed transportation costs Disruption of reproduction cycles Decreased stock weights Increased predation Range fires
Other Fire hazards Wind and water erosion of soils Visual landscape appeal Air and water quality	Changes in Lifestyle Increased poverty Migrations Loss of aesthetic value	Timber Production Wildland fires Tree disease Impaired productivity of forest land Direct loss of tress
		Fishery Production Damage to fish habitat Loss of fish and other aquatic organisms due to decreased flow.