LINCOLN- Severe drought conditions throughout eastern Nebraska have forced officials to institute voluntary conservation steps. Steps include conservation when watering lawns, washing clothes, gardening, and even brushing your teeth. The City of Lincoln officially instituted the ask, while Omaha is expected to soon follow.

A large swath of east-central Nebraska, from Geneva northward to near South Sioux City, is listed as in “exceptional drought” in the current U.S. drought monitor map. The year 2022 was the fourth driest on record in Nebraska, with most of the state receiving less than 70% of normal precipitation. Officials have claimed they have never seen reservoirs this low within their respective tenures.

Despite some recent rains, the eastern part of Nebraska is still running behind on precipitation this year. Nearly 70% of the entire state is labeled as being in exceptional, extreme or severe drought. That prompted the Lower Platte River Consortium this week to encourage the public to take proactive steps to conserve water. All suggested conservation steps can be found in the link below.

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