The drought that forced water restrictions across the state is affecting different communities in varying degrees.
From Iola down south to Parsons, each community is reacting differently, according to its situation.
In Iola, the situation isn’t yet near dire.
Iola City Administrator Carl Slaugh said the water situation is one the city monitors carefully.
“A lot of what we are doing is just staying in contact with the people at John Redmond Reservoir north of Burlington,” Slaugh said. John Redmond feeds the Neosho River downstream.
According to Slaugh, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees Redmond, said the normal depth for the reservoir was about 1,037 during extended hot and dry periods, such as this summer’s. As of Monday, the level was at 1,036.42 feet.
The difference between the two numbers is due to evaporation.
If the water level dips to 1,035 feet, it would prompt a step up to emergency level procedures for those drawing water from Redmond, such as Iola.
That would only occur, however, if other water reserves in Council Grove Lake and Marion Lake had already been depleted. Those two water sources have had 93 and 90 percent of the water assurance supply drained from them respectively.
Between the two lakes and Redmond, Iola is still several weeks away from worrying about a stage three water emergency, Slaugh said..
To combat the water supply issue, communities up and down the Neosho are taking steps to prepare for what may come next.
Slaugh said Iola’s water usage has dipped by 15 percent since the stage two water restriction went into effect earlier this month, evidence of responsible citizens making smart choices.
FARTHER south, Chanute officials are taking a more serious look at the situation. Larry Gates, director of utilities in Chanute, is preparing for the worst.
“I think we are headed that way,” Gates said, referring to a stage three water emergency. “If we don’t get a good rain soon, our supply of water is going to get pretty low. We looked at what it would take to ship water in to keep the city operating. We would need 143 semi trucks of water a day just to keep close with what we would need.”
