Governor Vilsack has asked the U-S Ag Secretary to declare 16 Iowa counties disaster areas because of drought conditions. Vilsack’s spokesman, Joe Shannahan.says while most of the state has gotten plenty of rain lately, 16 southwest and south central Iowa counties have yet to recover from dangerously low water levels.Vilsack has asked that Adams, Cass, Crawford, Davis, Decatur, Fremont, Lucas, Lyon, Page, Ringgold, Shelby, Tama, Taylor, Union, Wapello and Wayne counties receive a disaster designation. With that designation, farmers in those counties would be eligible for Farm Service Agency loans and Emergency Water Assistance grants — and small businesses would be eligible for S-B-A loans.