EASTERN IOWA — Despite widespread one and a half to two inches of rain in eastern Iowa on Wednesday, that may not be enough to change the drought conditions we fell into earlier this year.
Most of the state has been experiencing some sort of drought for the past four years. It ended because of the rains earlier this year. However, with rains drying up since late this summer, drought conditions have begun to creep back into the state.
Drought conditions can affect everything from landscaping to farmers and their crops, and even recreational activities over the years. The effects of the drought also linger in our waterways. While lower water levels are obvious, pressure on our area’s waterways makes for a bleak outlook for aquatic life in winter.
Dry conditions tend to lead to lower flow rates, which can become critical as temperatures begin to drop, leaving little room for fish as their environment begins to freeze.
Earlier this year, excess rainfall led to above-normal stream flows across much of the Upper Mississippi Valley. As summer came to an end, rain stopped falling, leaving rivers and streams at very low levels for much of the fall.
When that happens, many fish move to places where they can hibernate, which are the deeper holes, but the deeper the better the chance of retaining oxygen to levels sufficient for survival. But if they’re stuck in a shallow, slow-moving area, it can freeze almost to the bottom. If we don’t see improvements or if we don’t have a mild winter season,” said Scott Grummer, fisheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Even though the area has received about a full month’s worth of rain this past week, there is still a severe drought in place across the state. So as long as the ground remains dry, stream flows may very well return to lower speeds. This would endanger local fish populations in the coming months, especially if we eventually see a cold, harsh winter.