While many areas of the state have received much needed rain and some relief from drought conditions, the latest drought monitor shows extreme and exceptional conditions remain in many areas of western Kansas. As of May 31st, the western edge of Grant County was in the exceptional class while the rest of the county is in extreme condition.
The winter wheat harvest potential in Kansas has been reduced by over twenty-five percent. The drought conditions are also impacting groundwater levels. In a report from the Kansas Geological Survey, groundwater levels in much of southwest Kansas declined by two to five feet and as much as 10 feet in 2021. The response to this groundwater decline is to pump more water from the Ogallala Aquifer for irrigating crops, pastures and hay fields.
Western Kansas is predicted to have drought conditions persist through the 2022 summer with above-normal temperatures forecast.
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