State environmental officials have declared a drought across all counties in Kentucky as the state has seen significantly less rainfall than usual in recent weeks.
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, coordinating with a drought monitoring team representing various agencies, declared Monday a Level 1 drought impacting vegetation health and soil moisture with the biggest impacts in Central and Western Kentucky. More than two dozen counties in the state have burn bans in place according to state officials.
A cabinet release Monday states the drought in some areas has increased agricultural water needs and increased wildfire risk. A Level 1 drought can be declared if certain conditions — such as low rainfall, streamflows in waterways and drier soil — are met. Three levels of drought can be declared by state officials. The U.S. Drought Monitor, a group of governmental weather experts tracking drought, has much of Kentucky in either moderate or severe drought conditions.
Matthew Dixon, a senior meteorologist with the University of Kentucky Agricultural Weather Center, in a statement said the state has had over 1.5 inches of rain less than what’s normal over the past 30 days.
“Despite severe dryness that began in mid-June, most rivers are flowing at the lower end of a normal range for this time of year. In some rivers and their tributaries, however, moderate hydrologic drought is developing, including the lower Green, lower Kentucky and Licking River basins,” Dixon said. “Most drinking water supplies across Kentucky have held up well, however in areas with moderate to severe drought, there is an increasing likelihood of water shortages developing in rivers and small water supply lakes.”
Jerry Brotzge, the state climatologist and director of the Kentucky Mesonet and Kentucky Climate Center, in a statement said drought conditions are likely to continue into the near future. Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman is encouraging Kentuckians to conserve water through small practices at home.
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Liam Niemeyer covers government and policy in Kentucky and its impacts throughout the Commonwealth for the Kentucky Lantern. He most recently spent four years reporting award-winning stories for WKMS Public Radio in Murray.
