Workgroup: Connecticut’s drought is over
The drought is over, the state’s drought experts say.
After months of moderate drought conditions, the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup voted last week to eliminate the remaining drought designations for all of the state’s counties.
At the peak of the drought in early fall, four counties had reached Stage 3, a level not seen since 2016, the workgroup says. Stage 3, or moderate drought, is followed only by Stage 4, severe drought, and Stage 5, extreme drought, according to the Connecticut Drought Preparedness and Response Plan.
At the same time, the U.S. Drought Monitor, which measures drought differently, said parts of Connecticut were in extreme drought, the second-highest of its five levels.
The drought quickly subsided when heavy rain and snow arrived later in the fall, and as of December, New London County was the only one with drought conditions, according to the Office of Policy and Management, one of five state agencies that make up the workgroup. The others are the Department of Public Health, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The agencies get help from the United States Geological Survey and the National Weather Service.
“The wetter than normal December eliminated our remaining concerns about ground water and reservoir levels heading into winter,” said Workgroup Chair Martin Heft. “Although we are fortunate to once again have an abundant supply of water, it should never be wasted and businesses and residents are encouraged to continue following best practices for water conservation and wise water use.”
Heft added, “The drinking water reservoirs of a handful of public water systems still have not fully recovered, so customers must continue to follow any company-specific conservation protocols to ensure a complete storage recharge before spring.”
Christine Dempsey can be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.
