Entire state affected by worsening drought

With below-normal rainfall for the past seven months, minimal precipitation in July and August, and above-average temperatures, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Bethany Card announced on Aug. 24 that drought conditions have deteriorated across the state.

In a Drought Status update, Card declared that the Cape Cod Region is joining the Connecticut River Valley, Southeast, Northeast, and Central regions at Level 3: Critical Drought, just one step below Level 4: Emergency Drought. She said the Islands and Western regions are being elevated to Level 2: Significant Drought.

The declarations were the result of recommendations made by the state’s Drought Management Task Force, which states that the drought continues to impact the environment in many ways.

“The Commonwealth is experiencing extremely low streamflows in all regions, decreasing levels in reservoirs, dry streambeds, ponding, and diminished extent of streams in many watersheds leading to issues like lack of flow, increased turbidity, higher water temperature, and increase in growth of plants and algae in the water,” the task force states. “Groundwater, which is a slow-reacting index, is decreasing in all regions.”

The drought and high temperatures are increasing the risk of wildfires, and fire activity has increased across the state. Wildfires in remote areas with delayed response are now burning deep into the organic soil layers. The Department of Conservation and Recreation has temporarily banned all open flame and charcoal fires within state park properties.

Watering restrictions outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan help keep water supplies at safe levels and minimize environmental impacts during periods of stress. To reduce the strain on local water systems, municipalities in regions designated Level 3 are advised to ban all non-essential outdoor water use. Essential uses for water include health, safety and regulatory uses, as well as for the production of crops, maintenance of livestock and other core business functions.

Municipalities in regions at Level 2 are advised to limit outdoor watering to hand-held hoses or watering cans, before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.

All drought guidance stresses conservation, as conditions could deteriorate further without preventative action.

According to data published by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on Aug. 16, 168 cities and towns have implemented outdoor water use restrictions, and 156 of these restrictions are mandatory. (For more information, see Outdoor Water Use Restrictions for Cities, Towns, and Golf Courses.)