An updated drought declaration for several counties in Kansas has triggered the emergency use of water from state lakes.

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback made the change, moving 13 counties from warning status up to emergency status. Six other counties were added to the drought watch list.

In a news release, Brownback said three-quarters of Kansas counties are well below normal in available soil moisture, because of below normal precipitation patterns and drying conditions. Stream flows and lake levels also are being affected.

Tracy Streeter, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team, recommended the update.

“Water supply conditions continue to decline in many areas. Emergency stage triggers the Kansas Water Office Memorandum of Understanding with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism which allows emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes by contracting the Kansas Water Office,” Streeter said.

“This will allow small communities and individuals within the emergency counties category to pump water from named state fishing lakes if they are in dire need of water”.

Streeter says individuals and communities need to contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes.

They will in turn be referred to the appropriate office to obtain the necessary permit.

There are limits to the types of water use available, and a fee may be set for use of the state fishing lakes’ water supply.

Wildlife and Parks Secretary Robin Jennison says the priorities are domestic, municipal and then livestock uses, while also protecting the lakes’ fish populations.

The list of state fishing lakes designated for emergency water withdrawals include Atchison, Barber, Brown, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Clark, Crawford, Goodman, Jewell, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lyon, Pottawatomie #1, Pottawatomie #2, McPherson, Miami, Mined Lands (Pits), Neosho, Osage, Ottawa, Saline, Scott, Shawnee, Sheridan, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson State Lakes.

This Executive Order shall remain in effect for those counties so identified until rescinded by Executive Order or superseded by a subsequent Executive Order revising the drought stage status of the affected counties. Effective immediately:

· Declare a Drought Emergency, Warning or Drought Watch for the counties identified below;

· Authorize and direct all agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor to implement the appropriate watch or warning level-drought response actions assigned in the Operations Plan of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.

The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the effects the drought has on Kansans. For more detailed information about current conditions, see the Kansas Climate Summary and Drought Report on the Kansas Water Office website at: www.kwo.org

County Drought Stage Declarations:

Drought Emergency: Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Harper,Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, McPherson, Meade, Morton, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Sedgwick, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner.

Drought Warning: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Gove, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Labette, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Montgomery, Neosho, Ness, Scott, Trego, Wallace, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson.

Drought Watch: Cheyenne, Decatur, Dickinson, Ellis, Ellsworth, Franklin, Geary, Graham, Lincoln, Miami, Mitchell, Morris, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Rawlins, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Wabaunsee