‘When the water goes away, it goes away’ — Nevada’s desert wildlife can’t keep up with drought
It’s been five years since Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) staff specialist Joe Bennett spotted 20 dead bighorn sheep near a guzzler while flying over Southern Nevada. The manmade water source had run dry, and the sheep, reliant on it for water, had died within 40 feet of the failed water source. … [T]he death of dozens of sheep represented what climate, wildlife and other experts say they are seeing day after day across the Southern Nevada desert — desert-adapted wildlife feeling the toll of abnormally dry conditions carrying on season after season, and not enough relief through monsoons. … The vegetation turns crispy; animals that rely on the vegetation for moisture don’t get it, Bennett said, requiring even more water to digest the dry roughage.
Other drought impact news around the West:
- AP News: Longtime lawmaker shapes the debate as Arizona grapples with dwindling water supplies
- Turlock Journal (Calif.): Business forecast strong, despite negative impact of drought
- KJCT (Grand Junction, Colo.): How is the water supply during drought?
- Sky-Hi News (Granby, Colo.): Midsummer conditions in northwest Colorado continue to heat up and dry out
