Drought Areas Increase in Lakes Region

Though some areas have seen intermittent showers over the last couple of weeks, the overall dry pattern has seen the return and expansion of drought conditions. 

The latest map from the U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday indicates that all of the Missouri Lakes Region counties in Barry, Stone, Taney, and Ozark Counties as well as portions of Boone, Carroll, Marion, and Searcy Counties in northern Arkansas are all at Moderate Drought Level. The Drought Monitor Scale indicates that these areas are seeing drying conditions with crop stress beginning and river and stream levels declining. 

Areas primarily south and west of a Eureka Springs to Diamond City line in northern Arkansas remain at an Abnormally Dry level. Water levels have remained low in that area including areas of the Buffalo National River.