The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is developing an updated drought mitigation and response plan that will help guide future statewide, multi-entity drought response efforts. The plan is designed to aid government officials, water users and water suppliers in planning and responding to droughts in Missouri. The department invites drought response partners, stakeholders and the public to review and offer written comments on the proposed plan until Feb. 7, 2023.
The public can review the proposed plan below. An executive summary is available, which provides an in-depth but less technical overview of the plan. The full drought mitigation and response plan, includes much more scientific and technical information. Written comments may be submitted by mail to Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Water Resource Center, PO Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 or by email to mowaters@dnr.mo.gov.
The current Missouri Drought Plan has been in use since 2002. The 2022 Missouri Drought Mitigation and Response Plan is a comprehensive update to the 2002 plan, expanding and updating the data and information within that document. The revised plan explores the various types of drought, describing and quantifying the different impacts they can have. The plan considers such factors as likelihood, susceptibility, impacts and resilience in assessing overall vulnerability that different regions of the state have to drought. The plan also describes Missouri’s Drought Response System and discusses available drought monitoring tools, mitigation capabilities and a comprehensive list of actions and initiatives that can be taken at all levels before and during drought.
A key component of the updated plan is an assessment of Missouri’s drought history and impacts in an effort to estimate potential future impacts. The revised plan is intended to build on lessons learned from past droughts and to establish a framework for better preparation, mitigation and response to future droughts.