Moderate Drought Still Covers Most of Sheboygan County as Soil Moisture Nears Record Lows
Sheboygan County, Wisconsin — September 2, 2026.
Most Sheboygan County residents remain in an officially classified Moderate Drought area, and conditions were unchanged from the previous week, according to a September 2 report from WHBL and county data from the Drought.gov Sheboygan County dashboard.
Drought.gov reports that 86.5% of Sheboygan County residents are affected by Moderate Drought. That figure refers to residents, not necessarily the geographic share of the county. The southeast portion of Sheboygan County remains classified as Abnormally Dry, so conditions may vary between local communities.
Very low soil moisture adds pressure
Soil moisture in the top one meter is in the bottom 2 percentile, placing it near the lowest recorded range for the period used in the measurement.
Very low soil moisture can increase stress on crops, pastures, lawns and gardens. It can also leave less moisture available for natural water movement through soils and may add pressure to streams and groundwater conditions. The current sources do not document specific damage to farms, wells or municipal water systems, but the readings are a reason for residents and local water users to continue monitoring conditions.
Outlook calls for warmer conditions
The 30-day outlook calls for above-normal temperatures and near-normal precipitation. Near-normal rainfall does not necessarily erase drought conditions when soil moisture is already unusually low, particularly if rainfall arrives unevenly or temperatures remain elevated.
Wisconsin DNR guidance indicates that Wisconsin has not declared a statewide drought emergency. The agency continues to provide information about drought conditions, water supplies and conservation.
Simple ways to conserve water
Residents can help reduce unnecessary demand by limiting lawn watering, watering gardens efficiently and avoiding household water waste. Water plants only when needed, use efficient watering methods and follow any local utility or municipal guidance that applies to your address.
Sheboygan County residents can monitor the Drought.gov county dashboard, the U.S. Drought Monitor and Wisconsin DNR drought updates for changes in classification, outlook or conservation guidance.
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