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Drought Persists in Most of State ; Recent Rains Were Little Help

Posted on: Monday, 8 August 2005, 12:00 CDT

Illinois' dry conditions continue, and most of the state remains in either moderate or extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Members of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's Drought Response Task Force, which met Wednesday in Springfield, said little has changed despite intermittent rains last week.

The worst drought area starts in northern Illinois and runs west and south to the Illinois River and into northeast Missouri, said Derek Winstanley, chief of the Illinois State Water Survey.

March 1 to July 31 ranks as the sixth-driest such period since records started being kept in 1895. However, eight of the 10 driest March-July periods occurred between 1895 and 1936. Since then, only 1988 and 2005 rank in the worst 10 years.

"Droughts were occurring every five years, then the cycle went once every 35 years since the 1930s," said Winstanley. "For the future, we don't know if droughts will continue to be a rare event or we'll return to having droughts more often."

Winstanley said similar pattern changes are being seen with hurricanes, which have become more active in recent years.

"Climate events tend to come in long-term cycles," he said.

This year's drought isn't likely to end anytime soon, based on long-term forecasts.

"Illinois normally receives about 1 inch of precipitation per week in August," Winstanley said. "This amount is the minimum needed for the drought not to worsen. People should not assume just because it rains, the drought is over."

Statewide, precipitation in July was 93 percent of normal, but regional differences were profound. The western part of Illinois was 45 percent below normal, while eastern and southern Illinois received 30 percent more rainfall than usual.

Soil moisture and groundwater levels are very low in all the drought-stricken areas.

On Monday, moisture in the top 72 inches of soil was less than 75 percent of normal at most Illinois sites and less than 50 percent of normal in areas from northeast Illinois across to St. Louis.

Since June, shallow groundwater levels have fallen a foot and remain about 1.7 feet below the 15-year average.

The impact of the drought also can be seen in rivers and streams. The Illinois River is approaching historic lows at Marseilles, Henry and Kingston Mines, according to the U.S. Geological Society. In northern Illinois, the Kishwaukee River is at its lowest July flow since records started being kept in 1940.

"Barges are still able to travel the rivers of the state, which is very good news for the economy," said Gary Clark, co-chairman of the Drought Response Task Force and director of the office of water resources at the Department of Natural Resources. However, he said, "recreational boaters do need to be more aware of low water levels."

The State Water Survey tracks public water supply reservoirs in 35 locations. Of those, 28 are below normal pool, an average of 1.3 feet below normal. Reservoirs in Bloomington, Canton Lake, Altamont Lake and Lake Paradise near Mattoon are all more than 2 feet below normal. Rend Lake is at its third-lowest July level on record, dating back to the lake's construction in the early 1970s. The level of Lake Michigan is unchanged, at 1.4 feet below normal.

As of Tuesday, Lake Springfield was about 8 inches below normal for August.

"While these levels are obviously not ideal, in none of these cases is there any reason to be concerned about public water supply, now or in the near future," Winstanley said.

Source: State Journal Register

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