HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Despite the recent rain in the central part of Kansas, a wide area including Reno County is still under a drought emergency.

Reno County, along with McPherson, Harvey, Kingman and Pratt Counties are among 72 that remain under the emergency. The designation allows for those areas to continue to use water from certain state fishing lakes. Those counties also become eligible for water in some Federal reservoirs.

According to a release from the state, the Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize effects the drought has on Kansans.

While the rain has been off-and-on the past week in the area, the scattered nature of the weather has left some areas with far less moisture than others.