Window Rock, Ariz. • Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye has signed a drought declaration issued earlier this week by tribal emergency management officials.
The declaration signed Friday will clear the way for tribal offices to work together with county, state and federal agencies to get assistance as conditions worsen.
Begaye says the tribe wants to be prepared when water supplies start to diminish. Officials are concerned about wells, windmills and earthen dams across the reservation, which spans parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.
The latest federal map shows severe to extreme drought conditions already affecting the area.