TOPEKA — Governor Laura Kelly has signed a proclamation approving updated drought declarations for Kansas counties.
Scattered heavy rainfall events this past month, especially in south central and south eastern areas of the state, have led to localized improvements to ongoing drought and abnormal dryness. The overall drought conditions in Kansas are showing signs of modest relief, particularly in the southern region, but lingering dry spells persist across much of northern Kansas.
“Recent rains have improved drought conditions in parts of the state this past month, but it is important to remain drought-aware as we get further into the summer months,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “As extreme heat persists, I urge Kansans to be mindful of water conservation in daily life and stay prepared to respond to the quickly-changing impacts of drought on health, agriculture, and wildlife across our state.”
The drought declaration removed 42 counties from a drought status and placed 16 counties into warning status and 47 counties into watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.
In some areas that were missed by heavier rains this past month, temperatures ranging from 4-8 degrees hotter than normal have led to degrading conditions such as low streamflows and soil moisture levels.
“We had the wettest May since 2022 in some localized areas, but the long-term effects of drought are still prevalent in other parts of the state,” said Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. “The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the drought conditions across Kansas and make recommendations to Governor Kelly as conditions change.”
This proclamation shall remain in effect for those counties identified until rescinded by a proclamation ending the declaration or revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.
Effective immediately, the proclamation:
- Declares a Drought Emergency, Warning, or Watch for the counties as identified below;
- Authorizes and directs all agencies under the jurisdiction of the governor to implement the appropriate watch, warning, or emergency-level drought response actions assigned in the Operations Plan of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.
The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the negative drought-induced effects on Kansans. Kansans are encouraged to report drought-related conditions and impacts in their region through the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) system.
For more detailed information about current conditions, visit the Climate and Drought webpage on the Kansas Water Office website at kwo.ks.gov.
County Drought Stage Declarations:
Drought Emergency: None.
Drought Warning: Atchison, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Decatur, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Marshall, Nemaha, Norton, Phillips, Rawlins, Republic, Washington.
Drought Watch: Barton, Cheyenne, Dickinson, Douglas, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jewell, Johnson, Kearny, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, Mitchell, Morris, Ness, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pottawatomie, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stanton, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Wichita, Wyandotte.
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