DNR responds to deepening drought conditions
As drought conditions continue and deepen in parts of the state, the Minnesota DNR is carefully monitoring the situation and taking steps as outlined in the Minnesota Statewide Drought Plan.
Regarding the overall situation in Minnesota, the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday, August 4 shows:
- 20 percent of Minnesota is experiencing abnormally dry conditions,
- 10 percent of the state is in moderate drought, up from six percent last week, and
- 4 percent is in severe drought, up from one and-a-half percent last week.
A significant amount of the severe drought is in the seven-county Twin Cities Metro Area. The DNR recommends that water users and suppliers in the affected watersheds consider voluntary measures to reduce water use, such as lawn watering restrictions. During drought, water resources are particularly stressed and water conservation measures are especially important.
Due to prolonged precipitation deficits and increased temperature averages over much of southern Minnesota, the following watersheds are now in the Drought Watch Response Phase as provided for in the Minnesota Statewide Drought Plan:
- Des Moines
- Minnesota
- Missouri Big Sioux
- St. Croix
The DNR recognizes that other watersheds are experiencing dry conditions but do not currently necessitate any response actions at this time.
A map of major Minnesota watersheds is included below.
The DNR is taking the following actions on the four above mentioned watersheds in accordance with the Minnesota Statewide Drought Plan:
- Notifying the Statewide Drought Task Force of drought conditions
- Updating the DNR drought webpage
- Notifying public water suppliers in the watersheds of the conditions and encouraging them to implement demand reduction and water conservation measures
- Monitoring key conditions, such as Mississippi River levels
Climatic factors that are used to categorize drought, and the possible impacts observed in each category, are explained in the U.S. Drought Monitor’s Drought Classification (link is external).
The criteria for designation of a drought response phase are specified in the Minnesota Statewide Drought Plan (PDF), and include the drought severity rating and, for the Mississippi River, flow rates at the Brooklyn Park gauge operated by the US Geological Service.
Some degree of drought occurs in Minnesota nearly every year. The 2021 drought was the most severe in Minnesota since at least 1988.
More information is available on the Minnesota DNR drought webpage.
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