Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has released an updated drought declaration that places three counties, Sedgwick, Reno and Harvey, into an emergency status. Kingman, Harper, Sumner and Cowley counties are in a warning status, while Butler, Rice, McPherson, Marion and Chase counties are in a drought watch.
In a statement issued Friday, Governor Kelly said, “Drought conditions have persisted across the state through the summer season, and Kansans are continuing to see the effects. With conditions expected to remain dry throughout the fall, Kansans should consider their water usage and take extra care to prevent wildfires.”
The drought declaration placed three counties into emergency status, 55 into warning status, and 47 into watch status. The action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. 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.
Owen said many of the state’s large river basins are currently being supported by federal reservoirs, utilizing storage in those reservoirs to maintain streamflow. She said if conditions continue as predicted, the demand and stress on water resources may increase quickly. The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the drought conditions across Kansas and make recommendations to Governor Kelly as conditions change.
