Western Kansan farmers hit hard by drought

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Day 58 of the drought sweeping the Midwest is proving particularly grueling for Western Kansas.

During a drought summit in Topeka on Wednesday, state leaders gathered to discuss the repercussions of the hot, dry weather and options to help local farmers.

One such temporary option suggested by Governor Brownback was allowing farmers the use of Lake Kanopolis.

The Governor hopes to see more long-term storage at the lake in the future.

“This won't be the last time we have a drought in Kansas, and what we've been looking at is saying, can we get them to approve two feet more of storage in Kanopolis and get water for that central Kansas area,” Brownback said.

Brownback has opened state lakes to help out farmers. The farmers will not be required to pay for any water they need to pump for their cattle.