Rain fell multiple times throughout the last week, but the moisture wasn’t enough to alleviate the persistently dry conditions in Ellsworth County.

“It helped, at least for the short term. For the long term, we still need a lot more moisture for our subsoil to get caught up,” K-State Research and Extension Midway Extension District Crop Production and Horticulture Agent Craig Dinkel said Monday. “We’re still trending at 13 inches below normal for 365 days.

“It helped, but we gotta keep getting timely rains going forward for our summer crops. Especially since it’s going to get warmer going forward. We’re just surviving on those rains we’ve gotten in the last few weeks.”

Rain June 21-22 ranged from almost an inch to upwards of 2 inches, depending on the location.

Dinkel said the rain was inopportunely timed for the wheat harvest.

“It came too late on the wheat,” he said. “It caused some more issues. With our poor wheat crop, it’s thin. When the rain came, the weeds came. Some

“It helped, at least for the short term. For the long term, we still need a lot more moisture for our subsoil to get caught up.”

Craig Dinkel

K-State Research and Extension Midway Extension District Crop Production and Horticulture Agent

guys spent money on herbicide to be able to harvest.”

Ellsworth’s City Administrator Dustin Stambaugh is also keeping a close eye on precipitation totals.

“The storms did spike it, but it didn’t make a dent in the overall river levels,” he said. “The rush of water that came from the storm moved downstream.”

Ellsworth City Council enacted a voluntary water watch for residents on April 10. It will revisit the action during the July 10 meeting.

Conserving water is not mandated, but Stambaugh said residents are encouraged to limit outdoor watering. The city opted to open the public swimming pool. “In the process of our decision-making, we thought opening up the pool was more feasible,” Stambaugh said. “At one end, you want to protect our water supply,” Stambaugh said. “On the other, you want to meet your constituents in the middle.”

Stambaugh said water flow rate of the river is between 30-35 cubic feet per second. Desirable flow is 45 cfs.

With mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 90s for most of the next week, Dinkel said harvest should kick into high gear.

“Before the rain, a few guys were starting, then it rained,” he said. “It barely got going and the rain stopped it.

“Some guys were going late Saturday afternoon. Of course, (harvest is) in full swing now.”