The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is developing an updated drought mitigation and response plan that will help guide future state-wide, multi-entity drought response efforts. The plan is designed to aid government officials, water users and water suppliers in planning and responding to droughts in Missouri. The current plan has been in use since 2002.

Drought response partners, stakeholders and the public are invited to review the draft plan and provide comments before it is finalized. The public comment period begins January 9 and closes on February 7, 2023. An executive summary, which provides an in-depth but less technical overview of the plan is available on-line at dnr.mo.gov/document-search/draft-missouri-drought-mitigation-response-plan-2022-executive-summary.

The 2022 Drought Mitigation and Response Plan is an update to the 2002 Missouri Drought Plan, expanding the data and information within that document. The revised plan explores the various types of drought, describing and quantifying the different impacts they can have. The plan considers such factors as likelihood, susceptibility, impacts and resilience in assessing overall vulnerability that different regions of the state have to drought. The plan also describes Missouri’s Drought Response System and discusses available drought monitoring tools, mitigation capabilities and a comprehensive list of actions and initiatives that can be taken at all levels during a drought.

The revised plan is intended to build on lessons learned from past droughts and to establish a framework for better preparation, mitigation and response to future droughts.