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All 100 Counties in North Carolina are Categorized in Drought
Governor Urges Water Conservation StatewideJuly 1, 2007 CHATHAM COUNTY NC NEWS -- For the first time this year, all 100 counties in North Carolina are categorized as experiencing either abnormally dry conditions, moderate, severe or extreme drought conditions. The Governor all urged residents and local government agencies to observe water conservation directives in their communities and to voluntarily conserve water as much as possible. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor's map shows the moderate drought has expanded eastward into counties in the Triad, Triangle and the southern coastal plain. Also, seven counties in northeastern North Carolina that were not previously listed in any drought category were added to the list of counties that are abnormally dry. Governor Easley said: "Despite recent scattered thunderstorms, the drought is expanding into the southern coastal plains, the Triad and the Triangle. The northeastern parts of the state are also now abnormally dry and until we receive enough rainfall to replenish the groundwater supplies, all North Carolinians need to do everything they can to conserve water." Rainfall measurements taken during the last two months show that North Carolina communities have received about half of their normal precipitation for this time of year. Due to drought, 32 public water supply systems in North Carolina have placed water use restrictions on residents. Twenty-three systems have enacted voluntary water use restrictions, and nine have put mandatory water restrictions in place. The nine systems that have enacted mandatory restrictions are located in:
The Governor continues to direct state agencies in the westernmost counties that are experiencing the state's most severe forms of drought to stop all non-essential water use. Non-essential water uses must be curtailed to preserve limited water resources for essential uses. For governmental operations, non-essential water use parameters include those that:
This includes washing vehicles, using water for ornamental purposes, watering grass and washing down surfaces such as sidewalks. For several weeks, those 21 counties have been categorized as experiencing either extreme or severe drought. Routine watering of athletic fields is a significant and continuing water use for many educational and recreational institutions. In times of short water supply, the amount of water used to maintain turf grasses can and must be reduced. A prescription for conservative water application for turf survival has been developed with the assistance of turf grass management specialists from N.C. State University. The Governor also recommends the following simple steps for North Carolinians to use to conserve water during the dry conditions:
Water lawns and gardens early in the morning or late in the evening, not in the heat of midday to prevent evaporation. lawns should be irrigated to moisten the soil to a depth of six inches each time the field is irrigated. This should require no more than one inch of water, 620 gallons of water per 1,000 sq ft per application. It is best to irrigate early in the morning between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. when winds are calm and there is little evaporative loss. Empty cans placed around the lawn can help determine the amount being applied. A soil probe can also be used to determine the depth of soil moisture. A final note,North Carolina and Chatham County residents should start following the Governor's water conservation steps now to conserve water in case drought conditions worsen. Published by: # # # |
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