Impact of drought on fish and wildlife

Oregon drought map

Impact of Drought

Drought leads to low, warm water conditions that are detrimental to native fish, hitting cold water species like trout, salmon and steelhead particularly hard. As the water warms, the fish’s metabolism increases rapidly, burning precious energy stores. Additionally, fish become more stressed and vulnerable to disease, which can lead to die-offs.

Low water can also strand fish and makes migrating to the ocean even more difficult for juvenile salmon and steelhead. Meanwhile, adult fish returning to their home rivers may struggle to survive in warm water temperatures and can fail to complete their life cycle and spawn the next generation of fish.

With food and water scarcer, birds and mammals can become weaker and their young less likely to survive. Female mule deer may not get enough forage to feed their young, so fewer fawns survive.

Migratory birds in the Klamath Basin and alkali lakes or wetlands of Northern Basin and Range Ecoregion are impacted by drought. It can be devastating for nesting success of Oregon Conservation Strategy species such as black-necked stilt, American white pelican, Caspian tern, Franklin’s gull and sandhill crane.

Reptiles and amphibians like the foothill yellow-legged frog also have limited habitat in ultra-dry conditions. Amphibians rely on water availability throughout most of their life cycle and due to their cutaneous respiration (breathing through their skin), they require a moist environment to survive. Even if adults are not fully aquatic, they need water to lay their eggs and juvenile life-stages may be fully aquatic. Drought during these stages can cause egg masses or larvae to be stranded and dry up on land. Those that do survive face higher densities in remaining pools leading to more competition, poorer growth rates, greater risks for disease transmission and lower survival of young.

Other Oregon Conservation Strategy reptiles such as Western pond turtle and Western painted turtles are partially aquatic. Drought may cause ponds and other water sources these turtles rely on to dry up, decreasing food availability and increasing predation.

Recreate responsibly

There are steps you can take to help fish and wildlife out during drought:

• Keep your distance from water sources that wildlife need. Camp at least 300 feet away from water sources. As small ponds and other water sources disappear, animals will start to concentrate at remaining watering holes. While this may increase the number and diversity of animals in one area – great for wildlife watching – your presence near this essential resource may place even more stress on the animals.
• Consider finding a new place to fish or swim if you are in an area with low water. Try swimming in larger water bodies where fish and other critters aren’t congregating for refuge. Anglers can try warmwater fishing or fish the cooler high lakes. The weekly recreation report is a good spot for anglers to check before going fishing. Tips for fishing in warmer water.
• Stay on trails when you hike or bike to avoid disturbing habitat. Riding an ATV through a dry stream bed can permanently damage habitat.
• Keep your dog leashed. Off-leash dogs can disrupt bird nesting habitat and put other animals on the move, draining energy reserves when animals are already stressed by drought.  
• Make sure your campfires are fully out. Drought creates dangerous conditions for wildfires. Be prepared with a fire extinguisher should a fire accidentally occur from your campfire (required during fire season for vehicles and ATVs when not travelling on county or state roads).
• Scout and watch from a distance. As much as possible, try using binoculars or a spotting scope to observe wildlife and minimize disturbance during your scouting trips or when wildlife viewing.

Statewide drought resources

• US Drought Monitor | Oregon
• Oregon Drought Watch | current conditions
• Oregon Water Resources Department | drought resources
• Oregon-Washington BLM
• Oregon State Marine Board |Opportunity and Access Report (OAR)
• U.S. Forest Service | drought
• Oregon Department of Forestry | current wildfire information
• Governor's Drought Declaration
• National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) | Oregon drought planning resources
• Oregon Department of Agriculture | drought and disaster resources
• Oregon’s Instream Leasing Program
• Allocation of Conserved Water Program
• Oregon’s Instream Transfer Program

Drought Outreach Toolkit

A toolkit has been created for anyone interested in helping to educate Oregonians about the impacts of drought on fish, wildlife, and habitat in Oregon. The toolkit consists of an overview of the drought outreach effort, key messages, social media tiles and sample posts, videos and other graphic elements for public use. It reviews some basic guidelines for the use of the assets and other pertinent information to anyone engaged in the outreach effort. Simply, the toolkit helps everybody sharing information to speak in one voice and stay on message about the impacts of drought on fish, wildlife, and habitat in Oregon.

Explore the drought outreach toolkit now

Other resources

• US Drought Information System: https://www.drought.gov
• NOAA Drought Page: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/Drought
• National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | PQR - Portland, OR
• National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | MFR - Medford, OR
• National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | PDT - Pendleton, OR
• National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | BOI - Boise, ID