As drought conditions continue across North Carolina heading into the Fourth of July weekend, the public is encouraged to continue to follow water supply restrictions set by their local water systems.
“We are coordinating with utilities and reservoir operators who are actively working to maintain supplies amid widespread drought conditions,” said Klaus Albertin, chair of the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council and water resources engineer with the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources. “People need to do their part. We are hearing from utility managers that many people are, but they are also seeing more violations than they would like.”
According to the classifications released by the DMAC on June 25, 10 counties in and around the Triangle continue to experience exceptional drought, or D4 conditions — the most severe classification — and a large part of the state remains in extreme (D3) and severe drought (D2).
“Looking at the short-term forecast, we are expecting dry conditions into next week,” Albertin said. “Rain from this past weekend may result in some improvements in localized areas, but is not expected to result in major improvements for the next drought update this Thursday.”
For counties in exceptional or extreme drought conditions, or D4 and D3 classifications, water systems are advised to follow their Water Shortage Response Plans and adhere to water use reduction measures. Systems must report weekly water use and conservation status online at the DWR’s Local Water Supply Plan website.
“Now that part of the state is in D4, North Carolina Emergency Management is pulling together task forces to coordinate efforts to minimize impacts to water supplies, health and safety agriculture, and commerce and energy,” Albertin said. “We will see some communities step through more stringent conservation measures if conditions continue to worsen.”
With the upcoming holiday, DWR offers the following list of drought-related information and resources:
Many rivers and streams are at all-time low levels for this time of year, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. Groundwater levels in parts of North Carolina continue to stay below normal or at record lows. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the Falls and Jordan lake reservoirs are below normal levels.
For information on boat ramps or other access points, the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission has a list of boating access areas that are fully or partially closed. The commission also lists websites that provide information on current stream flow conditions and projected release schedules from hydro power stations: N.C. Stream Conditions.
The N.C. Forest Service has information online regarding wildfire prevention best practices, including the safe use of at-home fireworks, and risk reduction guidance for homeowners.
DMAC is a collaboration of drought experts from various government agencies in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina, and organized by DWR. DMAC members meet weekly and submit their drought condition recommendations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Drought Mitigation Center for updates to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a map of the nation’s drought conditions. DMAC’s drought map is updated weekly on Thursdays, based on conditions through the previous Tuesday. To view North Carolina’s drought map, visit www.ncdrought.org.
To learn more, visit our drought education page.