Declining soil moisture has been a trend of our quad state region for the past several weeks. Much of westernmost Kentucky has advanced to D1 or moderate drought levels, and most of southern Illinois has become D0 or exceptionally dry.
Further impacts are being felt on rivers, where below-normal streamflows have already stopped service of the Dorena-Hickman ferry. The Mississippi River has the potential to drop to severe lows at harvest for the fourth year in a row. That would require barges to be only partially loaded, making each trip more expensive for farmers and other river industries.
On the Net:
USDA Drought Monitor
