JEFFERSON CITY, MO, SEPT. 18, 2023 – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Drought Assessment Committee will convene Monday, Oct. 4, to continue coordinating a comprehensive state and federal response to drought conditions affecting portions of the state. It will be the committee’s fourth meeting since Governor Mike Parson issued a drought alert May 31, with Executive Order 23-05.
The Drought Assessment Committee will meet at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 4, in the LaCharrette/Nightingale conference rooms of the Lewis and Clark Building, 1101 North Riverside Drive, in Jefferson City. The meeting is open to the public and will also be livestreamed via Webex at stateofmo.webex.com/stateofmo/j.php?MTID=m17bd72ce8afc9a06d8ae83ea4eb8a941.
The Agriculture Impact Team, comprised of technical experts, will meet at 1 p.m., Sept. 21. The team gathers information and provides reports and recommendations to the Drought Assessment Committee.
In June, in response to worsening drought, Governor Parson announced the availability of emergency hay and water for Missouri farmers and ranchers. Boat ramps at 25 Missouri state parks and 36 Department of Conservation areas are open for farmers to collect water. Nearly 700 acres were made available for haying at 17 state parks. To date, 13 state parks and historic sites have contracted a total of 537 acres for hay. Four parks still have a total of 140 acres available for haying: Wallace, Route 66 and Bryant Creek state parks, and Battle of Island Mound State Historic Site.
The Drought Assessment Committee is made up of representatives from state and federal partner agencies who provide information, recommendations and coordination to mitigate impacts of the drought. Executive Order 23-05 declared a drought alert for Missouri counties that are in moderate, severe or extreme drought. Nearly all of Missouri has experienced at least abnormally dry conditions this summer.
Missourians are encouraged to assist local, state and national decision makers better understand drought conditions in their area by submitting a survey form via the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) service at droughtimpacts.unl.edu/Tools/ConditionMonitoringObservations.aspx.
Updated drought information, including a link to the U.S. Drought Monitor map of Missouri, and much more, is available at dnr.mo.gov/drought.