State Drought Planning
Colorado
The Office of Water Conservation and Drought Planning (OWCDP) of the Colorado Water Conservation Board
promotes drought planning by encouraging and assisting communities to prepare and implement drought mitigation plans, as well as monitoring drought impacts and informing the public, media, and state officials.
Colorado first developed a statewide plan, the Colorado Drought Mitigation & Response Plan, to respond to drought in 1981. The purpose of the state's plan is to "provide an effective and systematic means for the State of Colorado to deal with emergency drought problems which may occur over the short or long term."
The plan is intended to better coordinate the assessment of emerging drought and its impacts, the dissemination of information about drought and alternate response options available to local governments, and the decision to request federal disaster assistance.
The Drought Mitigation Committee of the Colorado Natural Hazards Mitigation Council identifies potential drought mitigation activities that can be implemented before drought in order to reduce the threat of drought impacts. These activities are outlined in the state drought plan and the State of Colorado Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan.
Kansas
The Kansas Water Office has the statutory responsibility to monitor conditions and inform the Governor when drought conditions are present in the state.
The Director of the Kansas Water Office serves as Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team, an interagency group charged with coordinating drought response activities in Kansas.
Mitigation measures are contained in the Kansas Hazard Mitigation Strategy and in the Kansas Water Plan. Many aspects of emergency preparedness and recovery are addressed in the State Emergency Operations Plan implemented by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management through local emergency management officials.
Objectives of the Operations Plan are to identify Governor’s Drought Response Team membership and leadership, establish a phased response to the various stages of drought, provide guidance for drought monitoring and establish criteria for triggering assembly of the Governor’s Drought Response Team, define the duties and responsibilities of state agencies at each drought stage, and identify responsibilities for providing public information regarding drought conditions and response actions.
Nebraska
The Nebraska Climate Assessment Response Committee formally adopted the state Drought Mitigation and Response Plan on June 26, 2000.
Recognizing the recurring nature of drought in Nebraska and the potential risks associated with severe drought events that may persist for one or more years, the purpose of the state’s drought-related efforts is to monitor the state’s climate and water supply conditions, assess the risks of and vulnerabilities to drought, promote the development and implementation of mitigation actions and policies, and respond to drought emergencies in a timely and effective manner.
The plan outlines activities stakeholders have suggested to better prepare for and respond to drought in Nebraska. The participating organizations that were involved in developing the plan utilized the How to Reduce Drought Risk Guide to help prioritize actions to be implemented. A similar process can be used to develop a drought plan for a wide variety of users.
All of the plans outlined above address how the state government proposes to address drought issues. Local planners should be aware of these efforts and determine how they fit into local development and emergency response procedures.