Storm, Floods Erase Drought Symptoms

Cheyenne County’s recent heavy wet snow has all but dissolved the drought concerns in Nebraska’s Panhandle. 

The March 21 drought monitor shows two counties defined as “abnormally dry” from the Wyoming border to Iowa. The map also shows no drought concerns from North Dakota to the Oklahoma-Kansas state line.

The definition might seem obvious with the eastern half of the state trying to manage flood conditions. However, prior to the recent storm, the account was much different. The drought monitor shows that in late 2018 and into 2019, as much as 90 percent of Nebraska was defined as “abnormally dry.” Abnormally dry means there may be short-term dryness slowing planting and growth of crops, some lingering water deficits and some pastures or crops may not fully recover, according to www.drought.gov. The www.drought.gov website reports none of the state is now in a drought. The Palmer Drought Index Long-Term (Meteorological) Conditions shows most of Nebraska as very moist to extremely moist.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts was quoted calling the flood “the most widespread destruction we have ever seen in our state’s history.” On March 21, President Donald Trump approved expedited disaster relief for the state. 

The drought report map was published March 12, a day prior to the blizzard that struck the region.

Abnormally dry is defined as short-term dryness slowing planting and growth of crops, some lingering water deficits and pastures or crops not fully recovered. 

The March 7 report indicates the High Plains remained “free of dryness and drought, with a moderate to deep snow pack coincident with temperatures averaging more than 20 degrees below normal.” The Midwest Region is also said to have remained free of drought, with bitter cold as much as 20 degrees below normal accompanying deep snow pack in western and northern parts of the region.

Most of Nebraska is not in drought conditions, with long-range forecasts according to the Palmer Drought Index indicating the state to be moderately moist (2 inches to 2.99 inches above normal) to extremely moist (4 inches and above) through March 16. 

In the Nebraska Panhandle and Cheyenne County specifically, water is managed by quality, availability groundwater and surface water. The South Platte Natural Resource District is responsible for overseeing groundwater use generally from Bushnell east to Big Springs, from Dalton south to the Colorado state line. About 1.1 million acres of the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) is committed to agriculture. Wheat, millet and corn are the major crops in the SPNRD with drug beans, sugar beets, potatoes, sunflowers, alfalfa and amaranth grown in rotation. Groundwater is vital to the SPNRD with cities, homeowners and industry relying on groundwater. 

It is what makes water management and drought awareness important in the Panhandle.

SPNRD Manager Rod Horn said the program traces its roots to the Groundwater Management and Protection Act.