Droughts affect more people in North America than any other natural hazard. The cost of losses due to drought in the United States averages $8-9 billion every year. In Kansas, the droughts of the 1930s and 1950s resulted in severe economic impacts that included crop losses and damage, high livestock mortality rates, tree loss due to disease, damage to fish habitat due to low streamflows, and increased food prices. Low streamflows during 2000-2006 in Kansas resulted in record low levels at Federal reservoirs and an unprecedented number of administrative decisions made by Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources to curtail water diversions from rivers to maintain State minimum desirable streamflows. In 2006, communities that receive their municipal water supply from alluvial wells connected to the Smoky Hill River experienced water shortages because of low streamflows. Included in this page are tables and maps that summarize drought conditions in Kansas using real-time data from USGS streamgages and publications that describe historical droughts in Kansas.
Drought Information and Publications
- Are Droughts in Kansas Becoming Worse?
- North American Drought: A Paleo Perspective
- Drought research
- Wateralert Subscription
- Kansas Drought Report
- National Integrated Drought Information System
- U.S. Drought Monitor
- National Weather Service Seasonal Drought Outlook
- Status of Lakes and Reservoirs in Kansas
Kansas Drought Maps, Graphs, and Tables
- Map of 7-day average streamflow
- Map of below normal monthly average streamflow
- Percentage of streamgages below 7-day average flow
- Drought map using hydrologic units
- Duration hydrographs
- Drought Summary Table
- Drought Map Comparison
State Minimum Desirable Streamflows
- List of stations with State required minimum desirable streamflow. Select a station to show from list. List shows current streamflow at these sites. Streamflow graphs will include last 7 days of flow and a reference line that shows minimum desirable streamflow.
- Minimum Desirable Streamflows - Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
- Overview
Droughts affect more people in North America than any other natural hazard. The cost of losses due to drought in the United States averages $8-9 billion every year. In Kansas, the droughts of the 1930s and 1950s resulted in severe economic impacts that included crop losses and damage, high livestock mortality rates, tree loss due to disease, damage to fish habitat due to low streamflows, and increased food prices. Low streamflows during 2000-2006 in Kansas resulted in record low levels at Federal reservoirs and an unprecedented number of administrative decisions made by Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources to curtail water diversions from rivers to maintain State minimum desirable streamflows. In 2006, communities that receive their municipal water supply from alluvial wells connected to the Smoky Hill River experienced water shortages because of low streamflows. Included in this page are tables and maps that summarize drought conditions in Kansas using real-time data from USGS streamgages and publications that describe historical droughts in Kansas.
Drought Information and Publications
- Are Droughts in Kansas Becoming Worse?
- North American Drought: A Paleo Perspective
- Drought research
- Wateralert Subscription
- Kansas Drought Report
- National Integrated Drought Information System
- U.S. Drought Monitor
- National Weather Service Seasonal Drought Outlook
- Status of Lakes and Reservoirs in Kansas
Kansas Drought Maps, Graphs, and Tables
- Map of 7-day average streamflow
- Map of below normal monthly average streamflow
- Percentage of streamgages below 7-day average flow
- Drought map using hydrologic units
- Duration hydrographs
- Drought Summary Table
- Drought Map Comparison
State Minimum Desirable Streamflows
- List of stations with State required minimum desirable streamflow. Select a station to show from list. List shows current streamflow at these sites. Streamflow graphs will include last 7 days of flow and a reference line that shows minimum desirable streamflow.
- Minimum Desirable Streamflows - Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources
- Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
- Publications