Johnson County is now experiencing moderate drought conditions, federal officials announced Thursday.
In the U.S. Drought Monitor’s Weekly Update, Johnson County was moved from the “D0 – Abnormally Dry” category to the “D1 — Moderate Drought” category. The county had been under the Abnormally Dry category since mid-October.
In a moderate drought, crop growth is stunted and supplemental feed for livestock could be feeded. Additionally, blue-green algae blooms begin to appear and creek and pond levels are low, according to Drought.gov.
The Drought Monitor is a five-category system, with D0 – Abnormally Dry being the lowest category and D4 – Exceptional Drought being the highest category. Each weekly update uses data from the previous seven days to make the assessments.
Most of Indiana is currently under the Moderate Drought category, with portions of northern and eastern Indiana under the Abnormally Dry category. A small portion of northern Indiana has no drought conditions at all, federal officials say.
