DES MOINES – After a very dry September and October, above-average rainfall in November improved drought conditions for most of the state, according to the latest Water Summary Update.

November’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 3.25 inches, or 1.43 inches above normal. Total rainfall for September and October was nearly 3.5 inches below normal, however, increased precipitation during the past month helped prevent drought conditions from worsening.

At the end of November, Iowa’s Drought Plan showed overall drought conditions have improved, with all of Iowa no longer under a drought watch designation. Statewide temperatures for the month were just over four degrees warmer than normal. The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows nearly all of Iowa in abnormally dry conditions or drought conditions, with a small area of northwest Iowa showing severe drought.

Conditions have improved due to recent rainfall over the past month. Precipitation forecasts from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center have no clear signal for the third driest month of the year. If the outlooks hold true, Iowa will likely maintain normal conditions in December.

“After a very dry start to the fall, the rainfall in late October and November eased concerns for hydrologic conditions and led to the removal of the Iowa’s Drought Plan drought watch designation state-wide. The state’s average rainfall for the fall months was below normal, but National Weather Service outlooks are stable. Continued normal or above normal rain in December is critical as we head into the winter months,” said Jessica Reese McIntyre, DNR Environmental Specialist.

For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, visit

 www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.

By Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa)

Wetlands in Iowa help prevent nearly $500-million in flood damage every year, according to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Report author Stacy Woods says wetlands are natural floodwater barriers that absorb and slow down rushing water like a sponge.

Federal data shows a decline in the number of wetlands, especially in the Prairie Pothole region, Great Lakes and southeast. Woods fears the trend could accelerate, as a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year stripped away federal protections in the Clean Water Act for many wetlands.

Woods says, “It’s critically important that we really step up to protect the wetlands that remain, because we’re going to need them as our flooding frequency increases with this warming climate.”

The report’s findings build on peer-reviewed research, which estimates one acre of wetlands provides $745 of flood mitigation benefits to residential homes.

“We know that flooding is a significant issue,” she says. “It’s expensive, and it’s getting worse as the climate warms.”

Along with flood mitigation, the report says wetlands provide habitat and food for roughly half of the endangered species in the U.S. They also act as natural pollution filters for drinking water.

In the last two decades, Iowa has had six flood disasters with losses exceeding one-billion dollars.

“In our report, we were only looking at how wetlands benefit communities by mitigating flood damage,” Woods says, “but of course, wetlands bring so many benefits to communities.”

The report recommends boosting conservation programs that help restore and protect these habitats.