It’s no practical joke. While parts of Kansas have seen record-setting rainfall, other areas of the state are parched. The U.S. Drought Monitor has far southwest Kansas in “abnormally dry” to “extreme drought” conditions.
The governor’s declaration places drought warnings on Grant, Hamilton, Morton, Stanton and Stevens counties in southwest Kansas. Finney, Greeley, Haskell, Kearney, Meade, Scott, Seward and Wichita counties in western Kansas have been placed under drought watches.
The declaration comes even as much of the rest of the state grapples with saturated soils and reservoirs so full they’re flooding camp sites. Toronto, Fall River and Elk City state parks all have numerous camp sites under water, and Cheney, El Dorado and Kanopolis remain above conservation pool.
Wichita logged 13.14 inches of rain last month, nearly two inches above the previous record. The city remains more than 8 inches above normal for this time of year.
“That’s the way it works,” state parks director Jerry Hover said from Pratt. “Some parts of the state got way too much” rain, while others have been left out almost completely.
“If we could pump some of the excess water out west, everything would work out just right,” he said.
Alas, it doesn’t work that way.
See Thursday’s Eagle for more.