• Brookings, S.D. - The latest edition of the U.S. Drought Monitor was released this week and reflects worsening drought in the west central part of South Dakota, says Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension Climate Field Specialist. 
• "An expansion of Extreme Drought (D3) is depicted in this week's map," Edwards said.
• Extreme drought has now taken over Haakon and Jackson counties, and portions of the surrounding counties as well. This level of drought covers more than a quarter of the state - up from 17 percent in the previous week. Edwards says the latest map, released Aug. 30, 2012, shows no change in the other drought severity categories.

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