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G <br />C <br />wildlife mortality rates; and damage to wildlife and fish <br />habitat. Social impacts include public safety, health, <br />conflicts between water users, reduced quality of life, and <br />inequities in the distribution of impacts and disaster relief. <br />Income loss is another indicator used in assessing the <br />impacts of drought; reduced income for farmers has a ripple <br />effect throughout the region's economy (National Drought <br />Mitigation Center, 1998). <br />The web of impacts is so diffuse that it is very difficult to <br />come up with financial estimates of damages. However, <br />the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) <br />estimates $6-$ 8 billion in losses as the annual average <br />Federal Emergency Management Agency, 1995). The <br />worst drought in recent history occurred in 1987- 1989, and <br />the NCDC reports the estimated cost as $40 billion <br />National Drought Mitigation Center, 1998). <br />In Indian River County, the primary sources of water are <br />deep wells for utility systems and shallow wells for rural <br />areas. Excess water from an interconnected series of lakes, <br />rivers, canals and marshes flows either north to the St. <br />Johns River or east to the Indian River Lagoon. When this <br />cycle is disrupted by periods of drought, one of the <br />potentially most damaging effects is substantial crop loss in <br />the western agricultural areas of the county. In addition to <br />obvious losses in yields in both crop and livestock <br />production, drought in Indian River County is associated <br />with increases in insect infestations, plant disease, and <br />wind erosion. The incidence of forest fires increases <br />substantially during extended droughts, which in turn places <br />both human and wildlife populations at higher levels of risk. <br />The St. Johns River Water Management District and County <br />staff manage the county's water resources. <br />Complementing the District's water management efforts <br />during periods of critical water shortage, a countywide, <br />uniform, forceful, contingency plan is in place to effectively <br />restrict the use of water. <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 23