DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh, on behalf of Governor Tom Wolf, announced drought declarations on August 31, 2022. 36 counties were added to the drought watch.
The following is the list of counties under a drought declaration:
Berks, Bucks, Bradford, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Dauphin, Delaware, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, and Wyoming.
The declarations are in response to low stream flows, declining groundwater levels, and below-normal precipitation primarily across counties in the northern and eastern portions of Pennsylvania.
Remember, in a drought watch, we should all be seeking to reduce water use by about 5 percent through voluntary conservation measures.