(Undated)– Iowa has developed its first-ever plan to predict drought before it happens. Officials say it is designed to mitigate the effects of the drought by planning for it, while helping the state manage the water it needs for human consumption, agricultural and industrial uses. Unlike other states that mandate water restrictions in the face of a drought, Iowa is measuring the effects of the current weather patterns to predict what can happen in the future based on that data, and avert the effects of drought on the front end. State geologist Keith Schilling says that data will help put cities, towns, and farmers in a better position to manage what is sure to come…
As part pf the plan, researchers aim to put drought-monitoring stations in all of Iowa’s 99 counties so the data is more reliable and less sporadic, which could cost as much as a million dollars.
In addition to measuring soil moisture and rainfall as part of the drought-monitoring plan, Schilling says scientists will pay particular attention to Iowa’s streams as barometers of the future, based on clues they offer about the distant past…
The U.S. Drought Monitor uses information that Iowa supplies from its data stations to report on drought severity, and Schilling says its reports are only as good as the data Iowa supplies, which is why getting stations statewide is a critical part of the new drought plan.
(Courtesy Iowa News Service)
