07 February 2006

Governor protects Kansans by raising drought alert level in Kansas

Based on recommendations from her Drought Response Team, Governor Kathleen Sebelius today signed executive order 06-03, raising the drought alert level to warning status in a six-county area of southeastern Kansas. The counties include Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery and Neosho counties. Two-thirds of the remaining 99 counties were placed in a watch status because of persistent below normal rainfall over the past several months. Tracy Streeter, Director of the Kansas Water Office and chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team, recommended the action on behalf of the team to Gov. Sebelius on Friday. The team is made up of leaders of state and federal agencies.

Governor Sebelius said, “Though we’re still in the winter season, it’s important that Kansans know moisture conditions in most areas are not as favorable as last year. And, it appears drought conditions which developed to our south in 2005 are spreading our way. Now is the time to review water conservation plans and consider drought response steps to be taken later in the year if needed.”

The Drought Response Team coordinates a phased approach to drought response in three stages, each with its own possible impacts depending on the time of year. The first is the drought watch, which is a moderate drought with some crop and pasture damage, likelihood of serious public water supply shortages is growing, and potential for high rangeland fire danger. Drought warning means there is a severe drought with crop and pasture losses likely and some stock water shortages. Public water supply shortages are present and some stream-flow targets are not being met causing very high rangeland fire danger. The third stage is drought emergency, which is extreme drought with widespread major crop and pasture losses and extreme rangeland fire danger. There would be widespread stock water shortages, severe public water supply shortages and many stream-flow targets are not being met.

The drought conditions experienced in southeast Kansas reflect an expansion of the regional drought in Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and Arkansas that has been dramatically emphasized by recent wildfires. In northwest Kansas, the effects of the on-going drought can be seen in below normal stream-flow and reservoir levels. Only a band of counties from Comanche County in south central Kansas northeast to Atchison County were not included in the declarations, but conditions in these counties continue to be assessed.

Sebelius said the Kansas Water Office and Drought Response Team would continue monitoring this potential drought situation throughout the year.

For more detailed information, see the Kansas Water Office web site at www.kwo.org.