The Wisconsin Drought

Gov. Doyle declared a state of emergency for northern Wisconsin due to its extreme drought conditions.

Thank you, Gov. Doyle!

The governor’s executive order, issued Wednesday, allows the Department of Natural Resources to expedite requests from farmers for temporary irrigation permits to divert stream or lake water to irrigate crops. The DNR also is required to conduct field inspections of streams or lakes proposed for diversion within 72 hours of receiving the request.

You can see the problem clearly by looking at the Wisconsin drought monitor here.

The map above shows the Palmer Drought Index for the US. It is from the National Climatic Data Center in the Department of Commerce.

We need water. Shorelines are severely receded for smaller lakes and streams. Rivers are lower and slower, too. The small lake where our ofice is located has shrunk almost 20 feet. The rain this past week has helped but more is needed. Our county normally receives 12″ of rain in June, July, and August. We need up to 6 inches of rain to recover fully.

Thank you, Gov. Doyle. We know that the government isn’t in charge of rain ( thank goodness!) but we appreciate your attention.

Counties covered by the executive order include: Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Iron, Jackson, Kewaunee, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Shawano, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vilas, Washburn, Waupaca, St. Croix and Wood.