The extent of drought damage to crops in seven Iowa counties will be surveyed if the U.S. Department of Agriculture approves Gov. Tom Vilsack’s request. The survey will help determine if the counties can be declared a federal disaster area eligible for federal aid.

Vilsack’s request came one day after sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns requesting a federal disaster designation for 16 additional Iowa counties as a result of significant crop damage from devastating summer droughts.

Drought-damaged crops are located primarily east of Grinnell, said Elwynn Taylor, professor of agricultural meteorology.

“These counties have experienced reduced yields for corn, soybeans, alfalfa hay and other hay as a result of the drought conditions this summer,” Vilsack wrote in his letter.

The USDA has not returned its findings yet, but state officials say the disaster declaration is likely. If such a declaration is granted, federal assistance should be available to Iowa residents in drought-damaged and neighboring counties that have experienced agricultural damages as a result of the dry conditions.

“It’s in the secretary’s court now, but we hope to see an answer soon, since we’re approaching the end of the growing season,” said Matt Paul, spokesman for Gov. Vilsack.

Daryl Herzmann, program assistant in agronomy, said the combination of summer drought and heat was detrimental to Iowa’s corn crops.

“The heat and lack of rain, particularly in the third week of July, came at the worst possible time for Iowa corn crops,” Herzmann said. “It stressed crops that were significantly moisture-stressed already.”

The peak of this year’s drought aligned with the essential growing period for Iowa corn crops, Herzmann said.

“Recent cooler temperatures are helping to keep moisture stress down, but the crops most affected by drought are too far along, and even rain now won’t help them,” he said.

Something Johanns should consider in granting Vilsack’s request is though Iowa crops seem to have received a decent year long accumulation of precipitation, it was not during the peak growing period for Iowa corn crops, which is June and July, Herzmann said.

“We’ve had 17 major droughts in the past 100 years, and a few regional droughts in between,” Taylor said. “This drought seems to be a regional one, but is at the edge of becoming major. It’s very close.”

In his report, Vilsack said the Iowa State Emergency Board met last week in Urbandale to review damage assessment reports from 20 counties in southeast Iowa. These assessment reports came from the county emergency boards which submitted their findings after Vilsack issued a letter to the state Farm Service Agency in July.

The damage assessment reports also will be sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s office for review.