TOPEKA- While there have been some recent rains, drought conditions for many areas of Kansas continue to worsen. Friday, Governor Jeff Colyer updated the drought declaration for Kansas counties. The update includes all 105 counties either in an emergency, warning or watch status. This order places nearly half of Kansas counties in an emergency drought status.
The updated drought declaration has 50 counties in emergency status, 27 in warning status while 28 counties are in watch status. In the KOFO listening area, Osage County is listed in the drought emergency status, Franklin, Douglas, and Anderson Counties are under a drought warning, and Miami and Linn Counties are in a drought watch. Counties in emergency status are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes with an understanding from the Kansas Department of Wildlife. They also may be eligible for water in some federal reservoirs.
Some areas of Kansas are more than 15 inches behind for the year and the outlook is for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation for the near future
