On October 6, the Pennsylvania Drought Task Force announced 25 counties are under a Drought Watch.
The counties include Beaver, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Schuylkill, Somerset, Tioga, Venango, Warren, and Washington.
“Pennsylvania received very little rain over the summer. We want residents to be aware of these dry conditions and be mindful of their water use,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley. “DEP makes drought declarations based on long-term trends. A severe thunderstorm or a rainy week may not lift the drought status for a particular area.”
A Drought Watch is typically declared for a county with three of the four factors in a “watch” status. Residents are encouraged, but not required, to voluntarily reduce their water use by five to ten percent.
Drought declarations are based on four factors – precipitation, stream flows, groundwater levels, and soil moisture.
The DEP Drought Coordinator monitors these indicators in close partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, which maintains gauges in streams and wells in many locations across Pennsylvania.
DEP makes its drought declarations after assessing the departures from normal ranges for periods of 3-12 months.
Click Here for a map that’s updated daily to show the status of all four indicators for each county.
NewsClips:
— Morning Call: Is Lehigh Valley Headed For Another Drought? What Water Data Tells Us
