Mitigating
Drought
Overview
of Selected State Drought Plans
New
York
The New York State Drought Plan was written in 1982 and updated in 1988. Public water supplies are the main focus of the plan, which is primarily based on lessons learned from the 1980–81 and 1984–85 droughts. The Drought Management Task Force (DMTF) operates the plan, and the lead agency on the DMTF is the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The plan is divided into two parts: a state drought preparedness plan
focusing on monitoring and evaluating conditions and options to minimize
drought impacts, and a drought response plan that defines specific actions
to be taken during various stages of drought. This arrangement is unique
among state drought plans. The New York State Drought Plan also recommends
programs and projects that should be completed to better prepare the state
for drought, based on two time scales: short-term (up to 3 years), and
long-term (3–10 years).
New York State Drought Plan (developed 1982; revised 1988)
| Author/lead agency: | Department of Environmental Conservation |
| Primary impacts addressed: | Public water supplies |
Monitoring Component
| Lead agency: | Department of Environmental Conservation |
| Activation of component/monitoring frequency: | Monthly |
| Conditions monitored: | Climatological data, reservoir/lake storage, streamflow, groundwater levels |
| Indices: | Palmer Drought Index, State Drought Index |
| Triggers: | Both the Palmer and State Drought Index values unique to each of the eight drought regions established across the state. The five stages are Normal, Drought Alert, Drought Warning, Drought Emergency, and Drought Disaster |
Impact Assessment Component
| Activation: | Not listed |
| Task forces/agencies: | Not listed |
Response Component
| Activation: | Triggers in combination with economic, social, political, and other factors |
| Task forces/agencies: | Drought Management Task Force |
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© 2006 National Drought Mitigation Center