Governor Laura Kelly has signed a proclamation approving updated Drought Declarations for Kansas counties. The Drought Declaration placed three counties into emergency status: Harvey, Reno and Sedgwick; 55 into warning status, including Miami and Linn counties and 47 into watch status, including Franklin, Anderson, Douglas and Osage. Although recent rainfall provided widespread drought relief, this relief was short-term, with many areas experiencing below-average rainfall for several months. Forecasts indicate that drought will persist and expand across most of the state through October and into the winter.
Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team, Connie Owen says many of the state’s large river basins are being supported by federal reservoirs to maintain streamflow. She says if the conditions persist, as predicted, the demand and stress on water resources may increase quickly. According to the Kansas Mesonet, the last measurable rainfall in the Ottawa area was September 24th.
