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Drought Relief
The Diablo Trust Wildlife Working Group organizes efforts to help relieve wildlife from the effects of drought.
During the summer of 1996 the Diablo Trust ranches — the Bar T Bar Ranch and the Flying M Ranch — hauled millions of gallons of water to wildlife and livestock. Group volunteers provided funds for diesel fuel and truck tires, assisted in the building of temporary fences to help prevent wildlife death in boggy water holes, and hauled drinker tanks to various locations.
Assistance was needed again in 2002. Six of the previous seven years had below-normal precipitation, ranging on an annual basis from 3.8 to 11 inches below normal, with only 1998 showing above normal precipitation (+4.5 inches). May 2002 marked the twelfth consecutive month with near to much below normal precipitation for the Southwest region. This resulted in the driest or second driest month or season for each of the twelve periods from May back to June-May and caused the regional Palmer Hydrological Drought Index to plummet, reaching levels comparable to the worst drought episodes of the last 100 years.
The Diablo Trust, with federal and state agencies and the Hopi Tribe, had begun discussion of relief measures that might be taken to help wildlife until the arrival of the summer monsoon rains. In particular, we were concerned about the antelope herd on Anderson Mesa, which had been declining for the past several years, and is vulnerable to the additional stress of drought. Fawn survival had been extremely low in this population. Other species were also at risk for low reproductive rates, as limited food resources can’t provide the nutrition needed to sustain both the females and their young. The Arizona Game & Fish Department and the Diablo Trust developed drought plans, and worked together to provide drought relief by hauling water to area wildlife.
Learning from the land and sharing our knowledge...
So there will always be a West.