February 2012

A new perspective on drought history in the Four Corners: cool- and monsoon-season precipitation reconstructions for the Hopi and Navajo tribal lands

For well over a decade, the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation located in northeastern Arizona have suffered the effects of persistent drought conditions. Severe dry spells have critically impacted natural ecosystems, water resources, and regional livelihoods including dryland farming and ranching. Drought planning and resource management efforts in the region are based largely on the instrumental record of climate, which contains a limited number of severe, sustained droughts.