Facing dry conditions, Kansas' Governor Laura Kelly has issued fresh drought declarations with Executive Order #23-04, highlighting the resilience of Kansans and urging conservation of water and fire risks, even in rainy areas.
Specifically, the declaration places 55 counties in an emergency drought status. Another 18 counties find themselves in a warning phase, while 32 are on watch. These measures come after recommendations from Connie Owen, who leads the Kansas Water Office and chairs the Governor’s Drought Response Team.
County Drought Stages:
1. emergency: Allen, Anderson, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Greenwood, Harvey, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Lyon, Marion, McPherson, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Ness, Norton
2. watch list: Atchison, Barber, Brown, Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, Doniphan, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Jackson, Jefferson, Kearny, Leavenworth, Logan, Marshall, Meade, Morton, Nemaha, Rawlins, Scott, Seward, Sherman, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Wallace, Wichita, Wyandotte
3. warning: Cherokee, Clay, Decatur, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Johnson, Kingman, Labette, Linn, Miami, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Sheridan, Wabaunsee, Washington
While western Kansas enjoyed some relief in recent times, central and southeastern areas are not so lucky. Nearly a third of Kansas still grapples with extreme drought conditions.
Connie Owen highlights the ongoing drought effects, including stressed water supplies, crop challenges, and increased wildfire risk. The team will monitor conditions and update Governor Kelly as needed.
Emergency status counties can access water from state fishing lakes and federal reservoirs through collaboration with Kansas agencies. To withdraw water, a formal request must be made to the Kansas Water Office, which will then secure permits.
This Executive Order will remain active until a new order either ends or updates the drought statuses for the affected counties.
Executive Order #23-04, effective immediately:
• Declares the respective drought statuses for the identified counties.
• Instructs all relevant agencies to act according to the Governor’s Drought Response Team’s Operations Plan.
Governor Kelly's team works towards minimizing the drought's impact on Kansans.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zhuda
Categories: Kansas, Weather