Wichita has a lot of special individuals. This holds true for professional sports as well. One of the more recent hometown kids to make the jump to the pros is Gradey Dick.
Gradey is back in town tomorrow to host a camp for both boys and girls at Wichita Hoops!
I am sure you are all well aware that the City of Wichita has now entered Stage 2 of their drought response plan. We wanted to take a little peek into what this means for Wichita as well as a look back and put this drought into perspective.
Okay, okay, that’s a little too far back…but Kansas and North America did experiences prolonged droughts that lasted over 20 years at a time during that time period.
How do we know?
There is evidence of tree rings and sand dune activation indicates severe aridity, especially in north-central Kansas (I think they even maybe, possibly had giant sand worms, but I could be mixing that up with Frank Herbert’s classic).
Dune 2
Next up was what became known as the Little Ice Age from 1500 - 1850 AD. These were shorter, but still significant droughts. Kansas and the Great Plains saw even more sand dune activity due to reduced vegetation and higher aridity (i.e. the state or quality of being extremely dry).
19th Century Droughts
Kansas has multiple droughts in the 1800s. Early explorers like Stephen Long described the Great Plains, including Kansas, as a "Great American Desert" due to the severe drought conditions they encountered.
There were also severe droughts in the mid-1800s, impacting early settlers and Native American tribes. Accounts from this period describe dried-up prairies, frequent dust storms, crop failures, and prairie fires.
20th Century Droughts
Fast forward to the 1930’s and you have probably all heard of the Dust Bowl, one of the most infamous in Kansas history. It was characterized by severe dust storms, soil erosion, and massive agricultural failure.
The Dust Bowl caused significant economic and social upheaval, leading to large-scale migrations out of the affected areas.
There were also droughts in the 1950s, 1980s, and early 1990s.
Recent Droughts
The drought of 2011 was among the most severe in recent history, causing over $1.7 billion in losses in Kansas alone.
It affected both surface and groundwater resources, highlighting vulnerabilities in the High Plains aquifer, where water extraction has exceeded recharge rates.
The last couple of years have also brought periodic dry spells that have led us to the current ongoing drought.
So, how bad is this one?
Here is an image from May 31, 2023 showing the level about 14 months:
Stage 2 Drought Response
Cheney Reservoir in 2013 from a Wall Street Journal Article
After the drought in 2011, the City of Wichita pulled together a Drought Response Plan in 2013 to address future droughts and how the city would respond when they eventually did come about.
As of August 1st, we are in mandatory Stage 2 for the first time since the inception of the plan a decade ago because the 12-month average water levels of the Cheney conservation pool dropped below 69% full. (Although the City enacted Stage 2 water restrictions for its operations voluntarily in 2023.)
The City of Wichita and surrounding areas use Cheney Reservoir as the primary source of water.
Starting this week, all City of Wichita water customers, including residential users, businesses, wholesale and commercial customers, will be limited to watering their lawns to once a week, based on their location which you can see below:
It won't just be your nosy neighbor ratting you out if you break the rules (although I wouldn't rule that out). Wichita Public Works staff will monitor accounts of excessive water users and send a warning letter should water use continue to be high throughout Stage 2 restrictions.
If high water use continues after they receive a letter, water users will be charged a $50 penalty the next time they exceed their average winter consumption, and a $100 penalty for each subsequent violation.
If you have a well, you can still use your well without outdoor restrictions right now.
What’s next?
There are two more stages to go.
Stage 3: Triggered when the 12-month moving average of Cheney Reservoir's conservation pool level is between 35% and 50%.
All outdoor water usage would be prohibited by customers who are not exempt. Food producing gardens utilizing drip irrigation or hand watering shall be Stage 3 exempt. Businesses that generate their core economic activity from usage of outdoor water shall be Stage 3 exempt. Such business include, but are not limited to, golf courses, car washes, nurseries, sod suppliers, and others identified by the city manager.
Stage 4: Triggered when the 12-month moving average of Cheney Reservoir's conservation pool level is between 0% and 34%.
Stage 4 continues the water usage prohibition, but this time NO exemptions shall be provided for usage of outdoor water. The city shall implement all possible water conservation measures in its own operations. All customers, except those specifically exempted, are required to reduce their water usage by 15% from their Average Winter Consumption - basically just hospitals.
*For purposes of determining drought response stages, the term "conservation pool level" means the percentage of the conservation pool that is filled.
If we get to stage 3 or 4, someone needs to carry Madam Zeroni up the mountain:
or we may end up digging holes like the boys at Camp Green Lake.
That's it for today! We hope you enjoyed this deep dive.
September 9, 2024 | Sign Up | Support Us TOGETHER WITH Good morning, Wichita! This is the Wichita Life Update, here to kick start your week like a perfect 68 degree morning. Let's get to it! - Landon Huslig p.s. Happy belated birthday to Megan! NEWS Amazon Prime Series Wichita has its place in pop culture. From music (I’m going to Wichita) to movies or shows (Ted Lasso), Wichita has had its moments. The newest highlight for Wichita is the Amazon Prime Series “The College Tour” will be filming...
September 6, 2024 | Sign Up | Support Us Together With Good morning, Wichita! When you wake up tomorrow, the high for the day will be below 80 degrees. If only we had some Shocker football.. Let's get to it! - Landon Huslig News Orpheum Update Visit Wichita Is the Orpheum closing?! Yes…well, temporarily. The Second Century Campaign (The Orpheum was built in 1922 and just entered it’s “second century”) was formally announced on Tuesday. This campaign will consist of major renovations to the...
September 5, 2024 | Sign Up | Support Us Together With Good morning, Wichita! Tonight is the first game of the 2024 NFL season, but more importantly the first game as the Chiefs attempt to be the first team to ever win three championships in a row. And you can bet Taylor Swift will be there. Let's get to it! - Landon TOGETHER WITH DELTA DENTAL Small business owner? Keep your team smiling with Delta Dental of Kansas. They make benefits easy for members and for you, as they offer local and...