Oklahoma deputies search Kansas property formerly owned by BTK
23 August 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Governor Laura Kelly has approved updated drought declarations for Kansas counties with executive order 23-04.
The drought declaration placed 55 counties into emergency status, 18 counties in warning status and 32 into watch status.
Drought 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, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pratt, Reno, Republic, Rice, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Sedgwick, Smith, Stafford, Sumner, Trego, Wilson, Woodson.
Drought Warning: Cherokee, Clay, Decatur, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Johnson, Kingman, Labette, Linn, Miami, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Sheridan, Wabaunsee, Washington.
Drought Watch: 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.
The action was recommended by Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office and chair of the governor’s drought response team.
Western Kansas has seen relief from drought in the last two months, but central and southeast Kansas have continued to be dry, with nearly 30% of Kansas currently in extreme or exceptional drought.
“With drought conditions persisting throughout parts of the state, we are continuing to see stressed surface and groundwater supplies, negative effects on crop production and elevated wildfire risk,” Owen said.
Through an interagency agreement between the Kansas Water Office, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and Kansas Division of Emergency Management, counties in emergency stage are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes. These counties also become eligible for water in some federal reservoirs.
Individuals and communities need to contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes. These requests will, in turn, be referred to the appropriate office to obtain the necessary permits to withdraw the requested water.