Drought Alert Level Raised to Emergency Status for 11 KS Counties
TODAY -- The drought alert level was raised to emergency status in an 11-county area of northeastern Kansas. The counties include Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley and Wyandotte. The remaining 94 counties either retained their warning status or were raised from watch to warning. Joseph Harkins, Director of the Kansas Water Office and chair of the Governor's Drought Response Team, recommended the action on behalf of the team to Lt. Gov. John Moore today. (Governor Kathleen Sebelius is visiting Kansas National Guard Troops in Bosnia.) The team is made up of leaders of state and federal agencies.
"Emergency status brings into play additional drought assistance tools from the state and federal government," said Lt. Gov. Moore. "It does not mean that the taps are dry, but that supplies are becoming limited." Drought assistance tools include securing emergency source water from federal reservoirs for communities, transporting of water to communities facing substantial public health and welfare threats, reducing red tape for cities and industries to obtain surplus water marketing contracts.
"Times like these bring home the value of water," said Lt. Gov. Moore. "Community leaders and citizens across the state are to be commended for their current and past actions to prevent the drought from turning into a crisis."
During the drought this summer, Gov. Sebelius has encouraged individuals to employ common-sense steps to conserve water. They can be as simple as limiting the length of showers to save both water and energy; watering, if necessary, during off peak hours; landscaping with perennials or drought-hardy annuals, and washing the family car on the lawn, not in the street.
An executive order was signed by Gov. Sebelius last week that put into place the Drought Operations Plan for the Governor's Drought Response Team. It details the actions to be taken by the various agencies based on drought alert status.
Changes in drought alert status are triggered by sustained high temperatures, lack of rainfall and the resultant decrease in soil and subsoil moisture and crop conditions. Indexes such as the national Drought Monitor and the Palmer Drought Severity Index reflect those conditions and are taken into account in making the determination.
The Kansas Water Office, charged with monitoring the drought, collects and interprets data from Gov. Drought Response Team members to prepare the weekly drought report. It can be accessed at www.kwo.org.
Lt. Governor Moore signed two executive orders today:
EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 03-18
DROUGHT WARNING PROCLAMATION
Drought Warning counties by Climate/Crop Reporting District
A. Continue in Drought Warning declared by Executive Order 03-15
Northwest: Cheyenne, Decatur, Graham, Norton, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas
West Central: Gove, Greeley, Lane, Logan, Ness, Scott, Trego, Wallace and Wichita
Southwest: Clark, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Meade, Morton, Seward, Stanton, Stevens
North Central: Clay, Cloud, Jewell, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Philips, Republic, Rooks, Smith, Washington
B. Newly declared Drought Warning
Central: Barton, Dickinson, Ellis, Ellsworth, Lincoln, McPherson, Marion, Rice, Rush, Russell, Saline
South Central: Barber, Comanche, Edwards, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Kiowa, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Sedgwick, Stafford, Sumner
East Central: Anderson, Chase, Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Johnson, Linn, Lyon, Miami, Morris, Osage, Shawnee, Wabaunsee
Southeast: Allen, Bourbon, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson, Woodson
EXECUTIVE ORDER 03-19
DROUGHT EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION
Drought Emergency counties by Climate/Crop Reporting District
Northeast: Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley, Wyandotte
