Hunter
06/08/24
The US Department of Agriculture says thanks to the abundant rainfall in recent weeks, Iowa is coming out of its drought.
Their recent weekly report shows over 90 percent of the state’s subsoil has adequate or surplus moisture for growing crops, more than double the percentage of a year ago. Some areas of the state show subsoil at maximum water saturation.
Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the recent Iowa State University Extension and Outreach bi-yearly survey of subsoil in northwest Iowa showed that there was more than 10 inches of moisture in the soil near Calumet, Ireton and Sibley. Each of those areas has about five times the amount of soil moisture they did less than two years ago.
Water levels deeper in the soil help crops grow during streaks of dry weather, wind, and heat.
The last US Drought Monitor report shows no areas of drought in Iowa for the second straight week, but 23 percent of the state, mostly in the northeast, is abnormally dry. Still, that’s less than the week before.
A recent report from the federal Climate Prediction Center projects that none of Iowa will develop drought again through at least the end of August.