Topsoil in Missouri among driest in nation

For the 5th straight month, Mid-Missouri is seeing a significant rainfall deficit that is taking a toll on topsoil moisture.

Topsoil is the top 2 to 8 inches of soil where most organic material is found, along where plants generally concentrate their roots. The lack of rain has led to the amount of moisture that has been depleted form the soil from plants and evaporation.

Currently 85% of the topsoil in Missouri is rated short to very short of moisture, which is among the top three in the nation. It’s a growing concern as Missouri continues to deal with one of the driest summers since 2012.

Although rain is in the forecast over the next week, it’s not significant enough to put a dent in our drought situation.

In addition to the lack of rain, the extra warmth we’ve been seeing hasn’t been without its challenges. The heat, along with bright sunshine, and low humidity is increasing the evaporation of soil moisture and water loss from crops. This places a huge importance on conserving one of natures most precious resources.

As Missourians continue to battle the ongoing drought, there are some ways you can limit the amount of moisture that is depleted from what remains in the topsoil.

This can be done through adding organic matter to the current topsoil, add mulches to prevent evaporation, and get rid of weeds. The more plants that are drawing on the reserve of moisture will ultimately dry out the topsoil even more.

Stay with ABC 17 News as we continue to monitor the drought situation and follow us on Twitter @ABC17Stormtrack.