Potential Impacts
The state table below highlights common impacts reported in the state. For more impact details, please visit the Drought Impact Reporter.
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| Category | Impact |
|---|
| D0 | Soil is dry; irrigation delivery begins early |
| Dryland crop germination is stunted |
| Active fire season begins |
| Winter resort visitation is low; snowpack is minimal |
| D1 | Dryland pasture growth is stunted; producers give supplemental feed to cattle |
| Landscaping and gardens need irrigation earlier; wildlife patterns begin to change |
| Stock ponds and creeks are lower than usual |
| D2 | Grazing land is inadequate |
| Producers increase water efficiency methods and drought-resistant crops |
| Fire season is longer, with high burn intensity, dry fuels, and large fire spatial extent; more fire crews are on staff |
| Wine country tourism increases; lake- and river-based tourism declines; boat ramps close |
| Trees are stressed; plants increase reproductive mechanisms; wildlife diseases increase |
| Water temperature increases; programs to divert water to protect fish begin |
| River flows decrease; reservoir levels are low and banks are exposed |
| D3 | Livestock need expensive supplemental feed, cattle and horses are sold; little pasture remains, producers find it difficult to maintain organic meat requirements |
| Fruit trees bud early; producers begin irrigating in the winter |
| Federal water is not adequate to meet irrigation contracts; extracting supplemental groundwater is expensive |
| Dairy operations close |
| Marijuana growers illegally tap water out of rivers |
| Fire season lasts year-round; fires occur in typically wet parts of state; burn bans are implemented |
| Ski and rafting business is low, mountain communities suffer |
| Orchard removal and well drilling company business increase; panning for gold increases |
| Low river levels impede fish migration and cause lower survival rates |
| Wildlife encroach on developed areas; little native food and water is available for bears, which hibernate less |
| Water sanitation is a concern, reservoir levels drop significantly, surface water is nearly dry, flows are very low; water theft occurs |
| Wells and aquifer levels decrease; homeowners drill new wells |
| Water conservation rebate programs increase; water use restrictions are implemented; water transfers increase |
| Water is inadequate for agriculture, wildlife, and urban needs; reservoirs are extremely low; hydropower is restricted |
| D4 | Fields are left fallow; orchards are removed; vegetable yields are low; honey harvest is small |
| Fire season is very costly; number of fires and area burned are extensive |
| Many recreational activities are affected |
| Fish rescue and relocation begins; pine beetle infestation occurs; forest mortality is high; wetlands dry up; survival of native plants and animals is low; fewer wildflowers bloom; wildlife death is widespread; algae blooms appear |
| Policy change; agriculture unemployment is high, food aid is needed |
| Poor air quality affects health; greenhouse gas emissions increase as hydropower production decreases; West Nile Virus outbreaks rise |
| Water shortages are widespread; surface water is depleted; federal irrigation water deliveries are extremely low; junior water rights are curtailed; water prices are extremely high; wells are dry, more and deeper wells are drilled; water quality is poor; |