Effects of climate change on the Fort Apache Reservation

Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona, conducted a study to assess the effects of climate change on the Fort Apache Reservation in east-central Arizona. Although weather refers to short-term conditions of the atmosphere, such as air temperature, humidity, presence or absence of precipitation, wind speed, and clearness or cloudiness, climate refers to the weather patterns of a specific region averaged over a long period of time (usually at least 30 years). Climate change then refers to changes in the long-term average weather of a region. The USGS study used long-term (40+ years) records of air temperature, precipitation, snowpack, and streamflow that were collected on or near the Fort Apache Reservation to search for evidence of climate change. The results of the study showed that climate change has occurred in many of the investigated records. The detected patterns of climate change closely matched the memories obtained from interviews of Tribal community members living on the Fort Apache Reservation that were conducted in 2017. Climate change can alter the locations where plants, animals, and humans can thrive, which may threaten the safety and well-being of communities, economies, and natural heritage.