Stunted corn stalks in a large field with dry dirt during drought
The effects of drought on a corn field in Dent County, July 2022.

The Climate and Weather Committee evaluates precipitation and water supply information from around the state and notifies the Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources should conditions warrant activating the Drought Assessment Committee (DAC). Missouri’s Drought Response Plan includes a progression of drought response actions to worsening effects of drought. If a Phase 2 - Drought Alert is declared by the Governor, the Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources will activate the DAC.

The DAC is a working group that reviews the recommendations of the Climate and Weather Committee and designates the drought levels for each county in Missouri. The DAC recommends the activation of and coordinates with representatives of Impact Teams for developing additional assessment information and identifying emergency needs. The DAC makes recommendations to the Governor concerning state-level or regional response and recovery. The DAC is also responsible for debriefing following a drought event and making revisions to Missouri's Drought Response Plan, as deemed necessary.

Current Status - Activated

In response to parts of Missouri experiencing rapidly escalating drought conditions, Governor Mike Parson signed Executive Order 23-05 on May 31, 2023, declaring a drought alert for 60 Missouri counties. In the executive order, Governor Parson directed the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to activate the DAC and its impact teams.

Information about the DAC and its meetings is available below and are open to everyone. Attendance at these meetings may be in person, by conference call or through Webex. The department will attempt to correct technical difficulties as they arise, but the department cannot guarantee the quality of the Webex or conference call option. The meeting will not be subject to change or repeat due to any technical difficulties.

Individuals requiring special services or accommodations in order to attend a meeting can make arrangements by contacting the staff coordinator noted below at least 48 hours before the meeting. Hearing- and speech-impaired individuals may contact the staff coordinator through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966. Translation or interpretation services will be provided upon request at no charge. Call 573-522-9395 for assistance.

Staff Coordinator: Erin Fanning, Director, Water Resources Center, erin.fanning@dnr.mo.gov

Upcoming Meetings


Meeting
Video Attendance Available! 		Lewis and Clark State Office Building
LaCharrette/ Nightingale Conference Rooms
1101 Riverside Drive
Jefferson City, Missouri
More Info:
Join the Oct. 4 meeting using Webex
All department events and meetings, including dates, times and locations, are available by accessing the department calendar.

Past Meetings


Meeting
East Elm Street Conference Center
Jefferson City, Missouri 		Agenda
More Info:
Video Recording, Aug. 22, 2023

Meeting
Lewis and Clark State Office Building
Jefferson City, Missouri 		Agenda
More Info:
Video Recording, July 25, 2023

Meeting
Webex
Statewide, Missouri 		Agenda

Meeting
Lewis and Clark State Office Building
Jefferson City, Missouri 		Agenda
More Info:
Video Recording, June 7, 2023

Meeting
Lewis and Clark State Office Building
Jefferson City, Missouri 		Agenda

Meeting
Webex
Statewide, Missouri 		Agenda

Meeting
Lewis and Clark State Office Building
Jefferson City, Missouri 		Agenda

Meeting
Lewis and Clark State Office Building
Jefferson City, Missouri 		Agenda

Meeting
Lewis and Clark State Office Building
Jefferson City, Missouri 		Agenda Amended
All department events and meetings, including dates, times and locations, are available by accessing the department calendar.

Committee Structure

The DAC consists of representatives from both state and federal agencies, and other agencies designated by the DAC as appropriate. The Director of the Department of Natural Resources, or their designee, chairs the DAC. The DAC vice-chair is selected by the committee from among participating DAC members. The following list was the 2022 DAC representatives. The 2023 DAC representatives will be available shortly. Additional staff may be solicited to attend DAC meetings and participate in various Impact Teams.

  • Office of the Governor
  • Missouri Department of Natural Resources - Chair
  • Missouri Department of Agriculture
  • Missouri Department of Conservation
  • Missouri Department of Economic Development
  • Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
  • Missouri Department of Public Safety
  • Missouri Department of Transportation
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • National Weather Service
  • University of Missouri-State Climatologist
  • University of Missouri-College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Kansas City District
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Little Rock District
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture-Farm Service Agency 
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • Regional Planning Commissions
    • Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission
    • Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council
    • Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission
    • Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments
    • Meramec Regional Planning Commission
    • Mid-America Regional Council
    • Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission
    • Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission
    • Pioneer Trails Regional Planning Commission
    • South Central Ozark Council of Governments
    • Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission
    • Southwest Missouri Council of Governments

Impact Teams

The impact teams are composed of agency team members who are technical experts. The teams gather, review and provide specific, detailed reports and analyses and report their findings and recommendations to the DAC. The recommendations, reports and findings from each team are reviewed by the DAC and the department for potential addition to the Missouri Drought Plan.

Potential impact teams and topics are listed below. If an impact team is designated for that topic for the 2022 drought, the topic name will link to that impact team's list of representatives:

  • Agriculture: livestock, crops, farm ponds, irrigation and rough-age/ forage
  • Climate and Weather: meteorological monitoring and analysis (The Climate and Weather impact team may, at the discretion of the department director, be named a standing committee.)
  • Commercial Navigation: barge traffic along the Mississippi River 
  • Economic: personal and business income impacts, tax revenue impacts, federal and state assistance
  • Health: human health, water contamination
  • Natural Resources and Environmental: fish, forests, wildlife, aquifers, rivers and streams, and streamflow
  • Recreation: tourism and navigation
  • Social and Communications: public communications and demographic and sociological impacts
  • Water Supplies and Wastewater: public, private, commercial, industrial, utilities
  • Post Drought Evaluation: review and analysis of impacts of drought on the above topics, recommendations for mitigation, crisis intervention and planning, recommended changes and expansions to the Missouri Drought Plan

Contact Information

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