WSP08775

• File Number: 8056
• Description: Drought Preparedness
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 1/1/1979
• Author: USGS
• Title: Hydrologic and Human aspects of the 1976-77 Drought
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

28

I' <I ill . _, .

HYDROLOGIC AND HUMAN ASPECTS OF THE 1976-77 DROUGHT

1000

I
I
4SP I \
I
I
I
,
r
~ ---------

SOUTH DAKOTA

44Q

40;

EXPLANATION
-Region boundary
- --,- - Boundary between regions 07 and 09

95'

90'

,,'

INDIANA

,
\ Kansas City
lO MISSOURI
I
,
I

I
,
)
\
,
/
(
I
J
I
,
Cairo

o 100 200 KILOMETERS
I I I
I I
o 100 MILES

Figure 11. Upper Mississippi-WRC Region 07 and Souris-Red-Rainy-WRD Region 09.

southwest corner, the western two-thirds of
Wisconsin, . the eastern two-thirds of Iowa,
most of Illinois, and small parts of Indiana and
Missouri.
The 1976-77 drought in these two regions is
briefly described as follows:
Central and northeastern Minnesota were
the first areas where precipitation dropped
significantly below normal. Most areas had
deficient precipitation during most of the
months from April 1976 to June or October
1977. Streamflow at many sites became less
than that in the 1930's, and new record low
flows occurred for various periods up to 9
months. Peak discharges and the volumes of

runoff were reduced, and water in storage was
used to maintain flows.
Water supplies obtained from many wells
failed or dwindled; therefore, water was
hauled to rural areas and some towns and new
wells were drilled. Water quality was affected
in the Twin Cities area where amounts of dis-
so.lved oxygen were reduced to near or below
the minimum standards set to maintain fish
PopUlations.

Previous Droughts

Palmer (1965) computed the Palmer index
for central Iowa for the period 1930 to 1962.