DES MOINES— For the first time in almost a year, none of Iowa is shown in any form of drought or dryness in the latest Water Summary Update.
Conditions in Iowa continue to improve, especially in the areas of southeast Iowa that had been dry over the winter. Thanks to a wet and cool April, there are no drought designations in the state and shallow groundwater is now rated as normal to above normal across the state. Streamflow is above normal across much of the state.
Most of April saw mild weather with temperatures above normal for most of the month. However, unseasonably cool and wet weather prevailed for the last few days of the month and put a halt to spring planting and field work statewide. The statewide average precipitation for April was 3.89 inches, or 0.38 inches above the 30-year normal. This was the 13th consecutive April with above-average statewide precipitation (for recorded rainfall since 1873).
For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, go to www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.
The report is prepared by the technical staff from the Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with The Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.