LINCOLN, Neb.—The drought that has affected Nebraska for almost two years is nearly over, as rain fell at the right times and the ground was nourished by Colorado’s floodwaters.
The southwest corner of the state is the only area still in bad shape, The Lincoln Journal Star reported ().
“Things are getting better,” said Mark Svoboda, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
But Svoboda told the state’s Climate Assessment Response Committee that even though conditions have improved, another dry winter—like last year’s—could return Nebraska to a severe drought.
“Ideally, we need to see a good normal to above-normal snowfall to sustain that recovery for Nebraska’s water supply,” Svoboda said.
The National Drought Mitigation Center says only about 5 percent of Nebraska remained in extreme drought last week. A year ago, 95 percent of the state was experiencing extreme drought.
Across Nebraska, soil moisture has improved and generally looks good down to two or three feet. State Climatologist Al Dutcher says he’d like to see the soil saturated to at least five feet before spring planting.
“We still have a long way to go,” Dutcher said.
The floodwaters that caused significant damage in Colorado are helping alleviate Nebraska’s drought, recharging the South Platte and Platte Rivers and some of their reservoirs.
A year ago, water flow moved down the Platte River near Grand Island at a rate of 87 cubic feet per second. Last week, the water was moving at a rate of 2,170 cubic feet per second.
“The basin is getting a good scouring, which is helpful for the long-term health of the basin,” said climatologist Brian Fuchs, who also works at the drought center. “The Colorado flood has been a positive for the state of Nebraska.”
———
Information from: Lincoln Journal Star,
