GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Minnesota's bone-dry summer continues as July winds down, with drought conditions escalating to extreme in a handful of counties across the state.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor issued Thursday shows conditions as abnormally dry across 100% the state, with growing areas listed as experiencing either moderate or severe drought. And for the first time in months, some counties are marked under the extreme drought category. Those counties include portions of:
- Anoka
- Benton
- Dodge
- Fillmore
- Mower
- Olmstead
- Sherburne
- Stearns
Conditions are deteriorating significantly, with the portion of Minnesota listed in the moderate drought category jumping from 63 to 70%, and the portion defined as experiencing severe drought from 11 to 18%.
And when it comes to the forecast, news is not good. While there are chances for isolated showers both Friday and Saturday, rain will not be significant. Making matters worse is that scorching temps will return next week, with the mercury reaching the low-to-mid 90s.
"Despite recent rains, the drought continues to worsen across Minnesota and Wisconsin," explained KARE meteorologist Ben Dery. "Within the past week, we've seen an expansion of moderate and severe drought, and for the first time this season extreme drought has crept into the region. These areas include central, east central, and southeastern Minnesota as well as northern Wisconsin."
Dery says we need to get an inch of water per week just to prevent Minnesota from falling even deeper into drought.
"Similar to the last several years, we're seeing just very dry conditions. I'd say the difference this year is we're seeing it earlier," said Tiffany Schaufler, senior project maintenance coordinator for Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD).
Schaufler said the major creek systems that drain into Lake Minnetonka have either dried up or are no longer flowing into the lake.
Severe drought conditions led MCWD to close Gray's Bay Dam on July 11. The dam will not reopen until Lake Minnetonka's water level rises above 928.6 feet. According to MCWD, that number is estimated by the DNR to be the natural runout elevation of Lake Minnetonka. Since the dam closed, Lake Minnetonka has fallen another 1.5 inches.
"There's a lot of questions around Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek and how we operate the dam there. Really, the dam is there to help with flooding and drought but it has limitations. If there's too much water, you're trying to balance that water on the lake and the creek. If there's not enough, again, you're trying to balance that," Schaufler said. "At the end of the day, it's also there to replicate history. "When Lake Minnetonka fell below 928.6 feet, the lake historically did not discharge into Minnehaha Creek. So we're mirroring that history."
Impacts from severe drought include fish kills, stressed trees with leaves changing color early, and high fire danger.
"We're seeing all our mainstem creeks dry up. The animals that would go there for refuge are then having to find somewhere else," Schaufler said. "Go to where there's areas or wetlands with deeper water just to find some water resources to help them survive."
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