The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released details of the newly introduced Iowa Drought Plan in conjunction with their February 2023 Water Summary Update. Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director John Benson says, “Just as we must prepare for floods, tornadoes, and winter storms, we also much be prepared for the impacts of drought in Iowa. The Iowa Drought Plan, the result of a collaboration between state agencies and a broad range of stakeholders throughout Iowa, is the blueprint we will use to ensure the state is able to address the challenges of drought preparedness, response, and recovery.” The plan designates five drought regions in the state, and each will be ranked as normal, drought watch, drought warning, or drought emergency. These designations will help determine the allocation of state resources to aid producers experiencing drought. Iowa has experienced unusual dryness for the past three years, but that trend appears to be breaking in 2023. February marked the fourth consecutive month with above-normal precipitation for the state with 2.04 inches, or about 0.9 inches over average. DNR Hydrology Resources Coordinator Tim Hall says, “The winter months of December, January, and February were well above normal, providing well over 5 inches of moisture across the state. This is just what we needed for drought improvement in Iowa. As we begin to use the new Iowa Drought Plan, only northwest Iowa is an area of ‘Drought Watch’ for the state, which is good news.” The complete Water Summary Update is included below.
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