Above: In a session at the Roots-2-Results Tribal Food and Agriculture Summit in Sparks, Nev., workshop participants discuss drought impacts in their regions. Credit: Kelsey Fitzgerald/Native Resilience.

After Nevada’s warmest winter on record, drought and temperature change are on the mind of many in the state’s Tribal food and agriculture community. At the recent Roots-2-Results Tribal Food and Agriculture Summit, held March 24-27th in Sparks, Nevada, members of the Native Resilience team led a facilitated discussion to connect drought data with what drought is looking like on the ground for farmers and their communities.

The discussion, led by Caitriana Steele (New Mexico State University/Native Resilience/RAWCS) and Maureen McCarthy (Desert Research Institute/Native Resilience), asked participants to reflect on recent changes they have experienced in weather and water, and what drought impacts they are seeing where they live. Participants were then asked to share what is working well when dealing with drought, and to discuss areas where additional support is needed.

Participants mentioned experiencing a wide variety of drought and climate impacts, including heat extremes, precipitation extremes, wildfire smoke effects on livestock, algae blooms, allergies, changes in watering needs, river degradation, increased weed growth and more. Some reported that their communities are doing a good job of sharing climate and weather information via social media and extension offices. Participants also described adaptations such as experimenting with raising drought-hardy cattle from Australia and engaging in regenerative forms of agriculture that work more holistically with nature.

PHOTOS

Caiti Steele introduces the workshop.
Caiti Steele of (New Mexico State University/Native Resilience RAWCS) introduces discussion topics to workshop attendees at the Nugget on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. Credit: Kelsey Fitzgerald/Native Resilience.
Caiti Steele introduces the workshop.
The session began with a brief overview of current drought conditions in the region. Here, Caiti Steele shows an image from the US Drought Monitor. Credit: Kelsey Fitzgerald/Native Resilience.
Discussion questions for climate impact workshop
During the workshop, participants were asked to discuss and share perspectives on drought and water from their own communities and personal experiences. Credit: Kelsey Fitzgerald/Native Resilience.
Workshop attendees discuss climate impacts in their regions.
Workshop attendees discussed climate impacts in their regions, reflecting on recent changes in weather and water. Credit: Kelsey Fitzgerald/Native Resilience.
Native Resilience program director Maureen McCarthy discusses climate change impacts with workshop participants.
Native Resilience program director Maureen McCarthy takes notes on drought impacts that were shared by workshop participants during the discussion. Credit: Kelsey Fitzgerald/Native Resilience.
Workshop participants discuss climate change impacts
In addition to discussing impacts, participants were asked to reflect on ideas or approaches to dealing with drought that are working for them or worth sharing with others. Credit: Kelsey Fitzgerald/Native Resilience.
Workshop participant shares discussion points at end-of-workshop wrapup.
At the end of the session, workshop participants shared key points and takeaways from each table discussion with the larger group. Credit: Kelsey Fitzgerald/Native Resilience.

Drought and Climate Resources

Presentation: Snow Drought Outlook and Early Action Resources with Dr. Kyle Bocinsky. The Native Resilience 2026 Webinar Series kicked off with a presentation by Dr. Kyle Bocinsky on preparing for snow drought and water stress in Tribal agriculture. Dr. Bocinsky shared the latest snow drought outlook and snowpack status updates for key hydrologic basins across the western United States. As Director of Climate Extension for the Montana Climate Office, Dr. Bocinsky brings deep expertise in climate science and its applications for Tribal and agricultural resilience. This session was presented to the Native Resilience Working Group on February 17, 2026.

National Integrated Drought Information System – https://www.drought.gov

NRCS Snowpack and Water Supply Data – https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/sswsf-snow-survey-and-water-supply-forecasting-program/snowpack-and

NRCS SNOTEL Stations – https://tinyurl.com/NRCS-snotelmap

Great Basin Weather and Climate Dashboard – https://gbdash.dri.edu/

US Drought Monitor – https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center Outlooks – https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/