[AUG. 4, 2005] SPRINGFIELD -- The month of July concluded
without a significant alteration in the weather trend affecting
Illinois. Precipitation levels in Illinois between March 1 and July
31 rank as the sixth-driest since 1895, when weather record-keeping
began in Illinois. Members of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's Drought
Response Task Force, meeting Wednesday, analyzed the current
conditions and how the conditions are affecting Illinois residents.
Current economic effects of the drought are felt most seriously by
Illinois agribusiness. Illinois farmers received support from
Blagojevich last week. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
approved the governor's request for USDA assistance programs,
including low-interest emergency loans. The governor's request was
based on reports from county Farm Service Agency offices as well as
conditions in the Illinois Weather & Crops Report.
The Illinois
Department of Agriculture reports 55 percent of the corn crop rated
very poor to poor, 32 percent fair and 13 percent good. Farmers are
concerned about corn ear size, as well as kernel size and weight.
The soybean crop condition was rated 34 percent very poor to poor,
43 percent fair and 23 percent good to excellent. Soybean producers
have found it necessary to spray for insects as they find
infestations of aphids and spider mites.
The Illinois Water Survey, a division of the Illinois Department
of Natural Resources, reports the statewide average for
precipitation in July was 93 percent of normal, but regional
differences were profound. The western part of Illinois was 45
percent below normal, while eastern and southern Illinois received
30 percent more rainfall than normal.
"Illinois normally receives about 1 inch of precipitation per
week in August," said Derek Winstanley, chief of the Illinois State
Water Survey. "This amount is the minimum needed for the drought not
to worsen. People should not assume just because it rains, the
drought is over."
The cumulative effect of months of drought can be seen in the
network of rivers and streams in Illinois. The Illinois River is
approaching historic lows at Marseilles, Henry and Kingston Mines,
according to the U.S. Geological Society. In northern Illinois, the
Kishwaukee River is at the lowest July flow according to records
dating back to 1940, and the Green River is at the lowest flow of
any season since 1976. In southern Illinois, the Little Wabash River
had the lowest total July flows on records that date back to 1915.
"Barges are still able to travel the rivers of the state, which
is very good news for the economy," said Gary Clark, co-chairman of
the Drought Response Task Force and director of the Office of Water
Resources at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
"Recreational boaters do need to be more aware of low water levels."
The Illinois State Water Survey tracks public water supply
reservoirs in 35 locations, which is approximately one-third of all
reservoirs in Illinois. Twenty-eight report below-normal pool, with
an average of 1.3 feet below normal. Reservoirs in Bloomington,
Canton Lake, Altamont Lake and at Lake Paradise near Mattoon, are
all more than 2 feet below normal. Carlyle Lake is 0.8 below full
pool, and Lake Shelbyville is 0.9 below full pool. Rend Lake is at
its third-lowest July level on record, dating back to the lake's
construction in the early 1970s. The level of Lake Michigan has
remained unchanged since mid-May at 1.4 feet below normal.
"While these levels are obviously not ideal, in none of these
cases is there any reason to be concerned about public water supply,
now or in the near future," Winstanley said.
The activation of the Illinois Drought Response Task Force is
based on a protocol set up by the Water Plan Task Force in 1984. It
has previously been activated eight times, most recently in the year
2000. Members currently on the task force include top scientists and
policy-makers from the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of
Natural Resources, the Illinois State Water Survey, the Illinois
Fire Marshal's Office, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the
Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Illinois Commerce
Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as staff
representing the governor and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn.
People seeking updated information on dry conditions can learn
more by visiting
http://www.sws.uiuc.edu/hilites/drought/. The website includes
an overview of weather conditions, soil moisture maps, information
about water supply and demand in Illinois, water conservation tips,
and a weekly drought update.
