One big rainstorm won’t fix Wichita’s water shortage.
Dark storm clouds that hovered over Wichita one mid-September softened the ring of cracked dirt that’s inched wider around Cheney Lake each week, but it didn’t erase the underlying problem.
Kansas is in a drought.
For much of the last year, Cheney Lake, Wichita’s primary water source, has drained away under hotter and drier -than-average conditions. The most recent federal drought map casts Cheney Lake under a deep brown blob that signals an ominous designation: Drought persists.
Wichita leaders declared a drought in January 2023, kicking off the first stage of the city’s drought plan — voluntary water conservation. In late July, City Manager Robert Layton looked at water levels at Cheney Lake, about 30 miles west of downtown Wichita, and announced the beginning of the second drought stage in August. This triggered mandatory water restrictions and limited watering of most outdoor plants to one day a week.
Water restrictions may continue for many months, if not years, city staff said.