ST. PAUL, Minn. – The drought has worsened in Minnesota, prompting the state Natural Resources Department to move into the Warning Phase on its scale of severity. The WarningPhase means public water suppliers using the Mississippi River dropped below designated levels. Also: Stream flows in the Twin Cities were below designated levels. All this with precipitation expected for at least several days. The last Warning Phase was in 2012. Maps showed 50% of the state in severe drought and 4% was classified in extreme drought. It will take at least three to five inches of precipitation spread over a period of about two weeks to significantly alleviate the drought, the DNR said.
What now?
> A multi-agency task force of state, federal, regional and local experts convenes with water-related responsibilities.
> Holders of DNR-issued water permits initiate conservation measures, such as reducing landscape irrigation, using more efficient irrigation equipment, and checking for and repairing water leaks.
> Public water suppliers implement water-use reduction actions. This means suspending or modifying water appropriations.
> Water appropriations in are suspended in watersheds, which has occurred so far un 10 watershed.
Drought map. Red indicates extreme drought, orange severe, yellow moderate. There is only one phase beyond worse than read.