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INTERMOUNTAIN WEST CLIMATE SUMMARY, JANUARY 2008 The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides data and information for the ~"'Jestern United States/ including: 1) Stream-floa.'J forecasts for the first five months of each year/ based on mountain snowpack. 2) Data and stream-flow outlooks by state and river basins/ incorporating snow-pack and precipitation data. is NIDIS Home:> Forecasting Home:> Hydrology ~ Sp<1nll ~nd CliUimmK ~lr...mn!IW ForN~..t~ ~, 01 ,Apill. ~ _.... =::::: -....,.. 1iiiiiI..,..tt _""1' -...., 3) Forecasts reflectina snowDack, stream-flow and reservoir storage. Please note: For some states the river basin reports may be generated and kept by state officials rat/}er than t/}e NRCS. 4) NRCS also provides experimental dailv l....ater SUDDlv forecasts The National Weather Service's Advanced Hvdroloaic Prediction Set"vice (AHPS) monitors and reports on river flood conditions and on low river water levels for the United States. The short- and long-term forecasts are also available. The long-term forecasts for low levels are available under local forecast points. Look for a tab below hydrograph under Additional Information and the link/ How low could the river get? The Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington produces hvdroloaical and soil moisture monitorina and fot-ecast maDS for the western United States. Figure 15b. Snapshot of "hydrology" webpage located under the "Forecasting" tab on the homepage. Each subtopic heading features one or more products and links, allowing users to view and compare data and products from a variety of agencies. and level of drought kno\vledge For example, under the "Cur- rent Drought" homepage tab, sub topic headings include drought indicators, hydrological monitoring, remote sensing, wildfire, paleoclimatic data, water quality, and local, state, and regional resources. Each topic and the majority of sub topic headings feature one or more national drought products such as the Palmer Drought Severity Index (Current Drought section) or the NRCS streamflow forecasts (Forecasting section) (Figure 15b). Future Development In coming months, members of the Drought Portal \vorking group will continue to add content including GIS applications and database development, and expand customization options for individual users. The Drought Portal \vorking group encourages user feedback regarding the utility, content and format. You can submit feedback by clicking on "Contact Us" link located at the top right corner of the homepage for email information. NIDIS The development of the Drought Portal fulfills a milestone goal for NIDIS and is a key step in centralizing early warning detection, response, and prevention efforts. NIDIS was created to improve the nation's capacity to manage drought risk, provide tools and information needed to assess potential impacts, and to better respond to and mitigate the effects of drought. NIDIS is comprised of an Executive Council, Program Office, and Imple- mentation Team that oversees five technical working groups: Public Awareness and Education, Engaging Preparedness Com- munities, Integrated Monitoring and Forecasting, Interdisciplin- ary Research and Applications, and the Drought Portal. The five technical working groups consist of representatives from a variety of federal, state, and tribal agencies selected to provide diversity in geography, expertise, and/or affiliation. WWA affiliate, Roger Pul\varty, is acting Director of the NIDIS Program Office. For more information about NIDIS, including organization, current research, and future goals, go to the Drought Portal homepage and click under "What is NIDIS?" or download the NIDIS Imple- mentation Plan pdf (see On the Web box). On the Web · USOP available at URL: http://www.drought.gov. · NIOIS Implementation Plan pdt available at URL: http://www.drought.gov/pdt/NIOIS-IPFinal-June07.pdt. FocuS PAGE 11 9