USDA Designates Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico Counties (S5957, S5958, S5960) as Natural Disaster Areas Due to Drought (Fast-Track)

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability. 

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for 8 or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.

Triggering Disaster #1

Impacted Area: Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: 12/01/2025

Primary Counties Eligible:

• Utah: Beave and San Juan

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

• Arizona: Apache, Coconino, and Navajo

• Colorado: Dolores, Mesa, Montezuma, Montrose, and San Miguel

• Nevada: Lincoln

• New Mexico: San Juan

• Utah: Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, Sevier, and Wayne

Triggering Disaster #2 

Impacted Area: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah 

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: 12/01/2025

Primary Counties Eligible:  

• New Mexico: Rio Arriba, San Juan, and Socorro

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible: 

• Arizona: Apache
• Colorado: Archuleta, Conejos, La Plata, and Montezuma
• New Mexico: Catron, Cibola, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Taos, Torrance, and Valencia
• Utah: San Juan 

Triggering Disaster #3 

Impacted Area: Colorado and New Mexico

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: 12/01/2025

Primary Counties Eligible:  

• Colorado: La Plata and Mineral

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible: 

• Colorado: Archuleta, Dolores, Hinsdale, Montezuma, Rio Grande, Saguache, and San Juan
• New Mexico: San Juan

More Resources

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local  USDA Service Center.