Drought Concerns on the Rise Again in North, Northeast Iowa

After a couple of weeks of improvement, drought concerns are on the rise again in northeast Iowa.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for Iowa, based on precipitation through 7 am Tuesday, August 1st, all of Bremer and Black Hawk counties had progressed back into the D2/severe drought category. The eastern half of Butler County, southern two-thirds of Franklin County, southeast quarter of Floyd County and southern third of Chickasaw County were also rated in severe drought. 

All of those same areas were in the D1/moderate drought category a week earlier.

The rest of Butler, Floyd, Chickasaw, Fayette counties, plus all of Howard, Franklin, and Cerro Gordo counties and the vast majority of Worth and Winneshiek counties are rated in moderate drought.

Tim Hall, Iowa DNR coordinator of hydrology resources, says July precipitation across the state as a whole averaged just over three inches of rain, marking the fifth month in a row of less-than-normal rainfall. He also notes that during that period, Iowa has received just over a foot of rain, which is only 67% of the expected 18 inches.

About 83% of the state is suffering from some degree of drought.