By Blake Jackson
Missouri is enhancing its soil moisture monitoring to improve drought and flood prediction. Following severe flooding in 2019, a regional working group identified the necessity of better soil moisture data, as it reveals water movement through landscapes and provides early warnings. Soil variations across states necessitate widespread sensor deployment for accurate modeling.
Nationwide interest in soil moisture data is growing due to increasing extreme weather events. The National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring Network (NCSMMN), led by NIDIS and USDA, aims to integrate soil moisture data for various economic sectors.
Recent sensor installations include projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state mesonets, and the U.S. Forest Service’s initiatives in forested areas.
Missouri, using data from federal networks since the early 2000s, is expanding its monitoring. The Missouri Water Resources Plan and the Drought Mitigation and Response Plan call for broader data collection.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) launched the Missouri Soil Monitoring Project, part of the Missouri Hydrology Information Center, adding sensors to 35+ existing stations and building 10 new mesonet stations.
“This is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’s effort to support and partner with other state and federal agencies in flood and drought monitoring,” said Amanda Wolfgeher, Environmental Program Specialist at the Missouri DNR and project lead.
The project aims to improve flood forecasting and drought monitoring by understanding the water cycle better. “Soil moisture’s really going to help us connect rainfall to hydrology and what happens to that rain after it hits the ground,” explained Missouri State Climatologist Zachary Leasor, who is closely involved in the soil moisture build out.
The Missouri DNR used American Rescue Plan Act funds for sensors, and the University of Missouri is managing data and creating soil moisture maps. The project will also create a public platform for soil moisture information.
“By having all this expertise and ability to consult people, we are a lot more confident in the way to do [this work],” Leasor said.
Wolfgeher highlighted the NCSMMN community's support. “Hearing from the greater community what their barriers were, what their challenges were, and the different components I needed to think about… I feel like the community has been there for me from the beginning,” she said.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-tlillico
Categories: Missouri, Business, Weather