Should Wichitans be concerned the ground is oversaturated from heavy June rainfall?
While drought and watering restrictions remain in place, June has brought a wave of severe storms and heavy rainfall to the Wichita area, saturating the ground and causing some flash flooding.
But how much rainfall is too much?
Wichita has recorded 9.94 inches of rain since June 1 — including the 4.19 inches June 17. Compared to an average June, the city is sitting at more than 6 inches above normal for this time of the month. This is the sixth wettest June on record, according to National Weather Service data, which dates back to 1889.
On average, the city has received 15.33 inches of rain by this point of the year. The total for 2025 so far is 22.50 inches.
When it comes to the overall climate, the seeming 180-degree shift from dry to heavy rainfall isn’t something to be concerned about, said Vanessa Pearce, a forecaster with the NWS.
“It’s kind of how weather can work,” Pearce said Tuesday. “You go through series of drier periods and then you can get a surge of being wet again ... that can kind of happen, ebbs and flows a little bit with periods of drier, and then periods of all a little wetter.”
Cheney Reservoir, Wichita’s water source, has seen lower levels in recent years amid drought and drought-like conditions. As of June 20, the lake is 0.74 feet below normal, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The conservation pool sits at 95.4% full.
Can the ground take any more rain? Is the soil oversaturated?
From a soil perspective, a lot of heavy rainfall can result in oversaturated soil and root damage, said Matthew McKernan, a horticultural agent for the Sedgwick County Extension Office.
Heavy rainfall could lead to soil and plants getting “waterlogged,” meaning the oxygen that’s naturally in the soil is replaced with water.
“Many people don’t realize that all living cells in a plant need oxygen, just like humans do, and that includes the root systems of our trees, shrubs and other garden plants,” McKernan said. “Plants are really going to vary in their ability to tolerate different levels of soil saturation, different conditions essentially will dictate the type of damage that happens on plants, as well.”
McKernan said typically if water drains from areas within 24 hours, the damage is minimal. But standing water combined with hot temperatures, which are expected to begin this week, can be problematic for your lawn.
“That combination of still water and hot, sunny conditions can really cook and kind of damage plant material in a very short period of time,” McKernan said.
To sum it up, McKernan said “too much of something all at once, including rain, can cause problems on the opposite end of the spectrum.”
In general, the rain has been helpful in leading Wichita and the state out of persistent drought conditions, however.
“The rain is definitely a welcome reprieve from some of the drought conditions and lack of water that we’ve [experienced the] past few years that helped offset some of the challenges caused by that,” McKernan said.
The key to having a thriving lawn during heavy rainfall is to keep it healthy through the year, he noted.
McKernan said you should avoid working in wet soil, as that can ruin the structure. He recommends properly aerating the soil to make sure enough oxygen is getting to the roots.
“The more we can have healthy soils and healthy plants, the more resilient our plants will be,” McKernan said.
For warm season lawns, McKernan recommends aerating them during the summer months.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 9:00 AM.
