New data from the Iowa DNR shows that drier than normal conditions so far this year have actually been ideal for the state.
Heavy rainfall during the autumn raised concerns that Iowa would experience flooding after the snow melted this spring. But the dryness has normalized hydrological conditions so now stream flow, soil moisture, and water supply are all in normal range.
"It's very, very encouraging going into the planting season being right down the middle of the road," says Tim Hall of the Iowa DNR. "We're not excessively wet, we're not seeing any sort of widespread flooding conditions at all."
During April 2013, most of the state was abnormally dry, and parts of western and northern Iowa experienced extreme drought. Hall says current conditions are about as average as Iowa has seen in a "long time".
