Governor Laura Kelly has signed a proclamation approving updated drought declarations for Kansas counties.

“Drought conditions have persisted across the state through the summer season, and Kansans are continuing to see the effects,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “With conditions expected to remain dry throughout the fall, Kansans should consider their water usage and take extra care to prevent wildfires.”

The drought declaration placed three counties into emergency status, 55 into warning status, and 47 into watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Although recent rainfall provided widespread drought relief, this relief was short-term, with many areas experiencing below-average rainfall for several months. Forecasts indicate that drought will persist and expand across most of the state through October and into the winter.

Many of our state’s large river basins are currently being supported by federal reservoirs, utilizing storage in those reservoirs to maintain streamflow,” said Owen. “If conditions persist, as predicted, the demand and stress on water resources may increase quickly. The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the drought conditions across Kansas and make recommendations to Governor Kelly as conditions change.”

Through an interagency agreement between the Kansas Water Office, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, counties in the emergency stage are eligible for emergency water use from certain state fishing lakes and some federal reservoirs.

Individuals and communities must contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request before withdrawing water from lakes. These requests will, in turn, be referred to the appropriate office to obtain the necessary permits to withdraw the requested water.

This proclamation shall remain in effect for those counties identified until rescinded by a proclamation ending the declaration or revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.

Effective immediately, the proclamation:

• Declares a Drought Emergency, Warning, or Watch for the counties as identified below;
• Authorizes and directs all agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor to implement the appropriate watch, warning, or emergency-level drought response actions assigned in the Operations Plan of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.

The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the negative drought-induced effects on Kansans. Kansans are encouraged to report drought-related conditions and impacts in their region through the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) system.

For more detailed information about current conditions, visit the Climate and Drought webpage on the Kansas Water Office website at kwo.ks.gov.

County Drought Stage Declarations:

Drought Emergency: Harvey, Reno, Sedgwick.

Drought Warning: Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Graham, Hamilton, Harper, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Labette, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marshall, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Republic, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Scott, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Sumner, Thomas, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wyandotte.

Drought Watch: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Butler, Chase, Clark, Coffey, Comanche, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Kearny, Kiowa, Leavenworth, Logan, Lyon, Marion, McPherson, Meade, Morris, Ness, Osage, Pawnee, Pratt, Rice, Saline, Seward, Stevens, Trego, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson.

We’ve received reports of an abundance of moths in and around homes. Two species
commonly found this time of year are the green cloverworm and army cutworm moths.

Green cloverworm moths are small and gray-black/brown with dark, mottled markings on the wings. The wingspan is about one-inch and when folded, the wings make a triangular shape. At rest, you may notice snout-like mouthparts protruding from the head. Green cloverworm larvae are typically not able to overwinter in Kansas, so the fact that the moths are present now does not indicate an infestation is likely next year.

Army cutworm moths, sometimes referenced as miller moths, vary in color and
patterning. Females are mostly gray; males are primarily brown. When disturbed, the wings drop scales leaving behind a dusty substance. Miller moths migrate to Kansas
this time of year to lay eggs which hatch in fall and early winter. On warmer winter days, larvae will feed on available hosts, burrowing back into the soil as temperatures drop. However, K-State Entomology specialists do not see this to be a major problem homeowners should be concerned with due to the short season and minimal damage.

The larvae of these moths are common crop pests. Moths are a pest primarily due to
their attraction to lights at nighttime. They are able to fit into tiny crevices making it
difficult to exclude them. Rest assured, as the temperature drops, the number of moths
will decrease as well.

Pumpkins that are harvested before they fully ripen will rot more quickly than those harvested at peak maturity. A mature pumpkin will have a hard rind that
is solid in color. The pumpkin should also make a hollow sound when thumped. Mature pumpkins will have a waxy coating which protects them from drying out.

After harvesting, keep your pumpkins cool and out of direct sunlight to increase longevity. Carved pumpkins have a much shorter shelf-life, sometimes only a few days up to a week before noticeable rotting occurs.

To extend the life of carved pumpkins clean the inside thoroughly, removing all seeds and loose string. Soak the inside of the pumpkin in a 10% bleach-water solution for several hours. Avoid using a real candle inside the pumpkin since the heat will speed up rotting. Pumpkins have a high-water concentration, so if there’s a freeze in the forecast, bring your jack-o-lanterns inside.