Water Summary Update: Water Year ends on a downward trend

After yet another month of below normal precipitation across the state, the water year ended with deteriorating conditions across Iowa, according to the latest Water Summary Update.

The “Water Year” is defined as the period between Oct. 1 and Sept. 30. Precipitation for the 2022 Water Year was 29.51 inches, or 6.04 inches below normal. Drought expansion continues into the fall months, with 85 percent of Iowa in some form of dryness or drought, and more than 25 percent of the state in moderate or severe drought.

“Conditions were improving as the state moved from spring into early summer, but since then things have gotten gradually worse. September marked the sixth month in a row of below normal precipitation,” said Tim Hall, DNR’s coordinator of hydrology resources. “A repeat of last October’s above normal rainfall would help to turn things around for the state, and we are certainly hoping for that to happen.”

The 2022 Water Year was the third water year in a row of below normal rainfall for the state.

For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, go to www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.