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Drought conditions deteriorated in Nebraska during October. This month the state had the 24th driest October in the 109-year record, statewide. As noted by the State Climatologist (Al Dutcher):
River flows along the Nebraska-Kansas border were essentially zero flow for almost every station on the Republican River. Harlan County Reservoir in south central Nebraska was below the minimum guideline for releasing water to irrigators and below levels seen during the last big water shortage scare entering the growing season of 1992. Essentially, Harlan is evaporating water and dropping, since no flows are entering the lake. Irrigators were shut off this year in August. In addition, all upstream dams on the Republican have been seeing water restrictions or no deliveries for the past 3 years.
Pictures taken by the High Plains Regional Climate Center illustrate the impacts of drought in Nebraska and Colorado:
October 2003 drought photos
- autumn dry brown Nebraska pastures normally typical of winter
- the Republican River, south of Arapahoe, Nebraska, has been dry now for two years
- stunted crops in Nebraska
- grass-covered dry lake bottoms (Lake McConaughy, Nebraska)
- snow bare mountains in Colorado
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