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. . . As a result, all of Kansas is now under a drought warning. A drought warning indicates a severe drought. Public water suppliers, based on their self-determined water conservation plan, may impose mandatory water use restrictions. Urgent surplus water contracts from state controlled storage may be authorized. The Governor's action came on the recommendation of her Drought Response Team, which met August 18 to analyze conditions around the state. To speed the availability of emergency water, the State of Kansas has simplified the process to provide water through surplus water contracts under the water marketing program. Any water owned by the state and not committed to either the marketing or assurance programs may be sold. In the past, surplus water contracts, contingent on available supply, had to be approved by the Kansas Water Authority. Last week, discretionary interim contracting authority was given to the director of the Kansas Water Office by the Kansas Water Authority. This authority wi11likely be used because, while there have been hotter and drier summers, this summer has set a new benchmark for record low stream flows in many areas. Eleven streams at 13 stream gauge locations are not meeting target flow levels. David Pope, chief engineer with the Kansas Department of Agriculture's Division of Water Resources said that the number of streams simultaneously experiencing low flow is unprecedented. More than normal rainfall is needed to bring the Palmer Drought Severity Index back to a not-too-wet, not-too-dry mode, state climatologist Mary Knapp told the Governor's drought team. September and October normally are wetter months and global climatic conditions favor a wetter fall than last year. Knapp noted the wide variability of rainfall in even a IS-mile radius and the short duration of the effectiveness of even a 4-inch rain on a Riley County stream. The Governor's Drought Response Team was reorganized by Gov. Sebelius' Executive Order 03-17 on August 21, 2003 to "ensure the State of Kansas responds in a timely and appropriate manner to the impacts of drought upon its people, resources and the environment." The team is chaired by the director of the Kansas Water Office. Members include representatives from the Kansas Water Office, the Governor's Office, Adjutant General's Department, the Departments of Agriculture, Administration, Health and Environment, and Wildlife and Parks, the State Fire Marshal, Kansas State University, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the USDA Farm Service Agency. CWRRI New Publications: Colorado Water Resources Research Institute have two new publications related to the Arkansas River Basin on its website: . "Salt Chemistry Effects on Salinity Assessment in the Arkansas River Basin, Colorado" by Curtis Allen Cooper. Grant Cardon and Jessica Davis, published March 2006 Completion Report No. 206 . "Toward Optimal Water Management in Colorado's Lower Arkansas River Valley: Monitoring and Modeling to Enhance Agriculture and Environment" By Timothy K. Gates, Luis A. Garcia, and John W. Labadie, published June 2006. (This publication is discussed in more detail in the article above) These publications can be found at the CWRRI's website at http://cwrri.colostate.edu/ SECWCD Meetings and Events: The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District Monthly Board Meeting Meetings and the Water Activity Enterprise meetings are held the third Thursday of each 15