- Agriculture
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Drought effects associated with agriculture, farming, aquaculture, horticulture, forestry or ranching. Examples of drought-induced agricultural impacts include: damage to crop quality; income loss for farmers due to reduced crop yields; reduced productivity of cropland; insect infestation; plant disease; increased irrigation costs; cost of new or supplemental water resource development (wells, dams, pipelines) for agriculture; reduced productivity of rangeland; forced reduction of foundation stock; closure/limitation of public lands to grazing; high cost or unavailability of water for livestock, Christmas tree farms, forestry, raising domesticated horses, bees, fish, shellfish, or horticulture.
- Business & Industry
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Drought effects affecting non-agriculture and non-tourism businesses, such as lawn care businesses, sales of recreational vehicles or other recreational gear, and plant nurseries. Examples of drought-induced business impacts could include: reduction or loss of employees, change in sales or volume of business, variation in number of calls for service, early closure or late opening for the season, bankruptcy, permanent store closure, economic impacts.
- Energy
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Drought effects associated with power production, electricity rates, energy revenue, and purchase of alternate sources of energy. Examples include hydropower and non-hydropower production when affected by drought, electricity rates, revenue shortfalls and/or windfall profits, purchase of electricity when hydropower generation is down.
- Fire
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Drought effects contributing to forest, range, rural, or urban fires, fire danger, and burning restrictions. Examples of fire impacts include: Enactment/easing of burning restrictions, fireworks ban, increased fire risk, occurrence of fire (number of acres burned, number of wildfires compared to average, people displaced, etc.), increase in firefighting personnel, state of emergency during periods of high fire danger, closure of roads land due to fire occurrence or risk.
- Plants & Wildlife
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Drought effects associated with unmanaged plants and wildlife, fisheries, forests, and other fauna. Examples of drought-induced impacts on plants and wildlife include: loss of biodiversity of plants or wildlife; loss of trees from rural or urban landscapes, shelterbelts, or wooded conservation areas; reduction and degradation of fish and wildlife habitat; lack of feed and drinking water; greater mortality due to increased contact with agricultural producers, as animals seek food from farms and producers are less tolerant of the intrusion; disease; increased vulnerability to predation (from species concentrated near water); migration and concentration (loss of wildlife in some areas and too many wildlife in other areas); increased stress to endangered species; salinity levels affecting wildlife, wildlife encroaching into urban areas, loss of wetlands.
- Relief, Response & Restrictions
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Drought effects associated with disaster declarations, aid programs, requests for disaster declaration or aid, water restrictions, fire restrictions. Impacts include: Disaster declarations, aid programs, USDA Secretarial disaster declarations, Small Business Association disaster declarations, government relief and response programs, state-level declarations, county-level declarations, a declared "state of emergency," requests for declarations or aid, non-profit organization-based relief, water restrictions, fire restrictions, declaration of drought watches or warnings.
- Society & Public Health
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Drought effects associated with public and human health. Examples of drought-induced social impacts include: health-related problems related to reduced water quantity and/or quality, such as increased concentration of contaminants; loss of human life (e.g., from heat stress, suicide); increased respiratory ailments; increased disease caused by wildlife concentrations; population migration (rural to urban areas, migrants into the United States); loss of aesthetic values; change in daily activities (non-recreational, like putting a bucket in the shower to catch water), elevated stress levels, meetings to discuss drought, communities creating drought plans, lawmakers altering penalties for violation of water restrictions, demand for higher water rates, cultural/historical discoveries from low water levels, prayer meetings, cancellation of fundraising events, cancellation/alteration of festivals or holiday traditions, stockpiling water, public service announcements and drought information websites, protests.
- Tourism & Recreation
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Drought effects associated with people's recreational activities and tourism. Examples of drought-induced tourism and recreation impacts include: water access or navigation problems for recreation; bans on recreational activities; reduced license, permit, or ticket sales (e.g. hunting, fishing, ski lifts, etc.); losses related to curtailed activities (e.g. bird watching, hunting and fishing, boating, etc.); reduced park visitation; delayed opening for ski resorts; increase in artificial snow generation; cancellation or postponement of sporting events.
- Water Supply & Quality
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Drought effects associated with water supply and water quality. Examples of drought-induced water supply and quality impacts include: Dry wells, water restrictions, changes in water rates, easing of water restrictions, increase in requests for new well permits, changes in water use due to water restrictions, greater water demand, decrease in water allocation or allotments, installation or alteration of water pumps or water intakes, changes to allowable water contaminants, water line damage or repairs due to drought stress, drinking water turbidity, change in water color or odor, declaration of drought watches or warnings, mitigation activities.