Category:drought
Nearly All Of The State Now In Drought
Monday, April 16, 2012
Steve Fermier
Share Tweet Email Share Print
Drought%20large.jpg
Audio
WBAL’s Steve Fermier reports on the drought status currently in Maryland
Download This File
Jay Apperson of the Maryland Department of the Environment told WBAL’s Steve Fermier that part of the state is now in a “drought watch.”
Download This File
Eastern Shore as been designated as in a severe drought.
That’s not all.
The only part of the state that is not now on the drought map as dry is the extreme western portion of Garrett County.
In just three months Maryland has gone from normal rainfall to almost entirely abnormally dry or in drought.
In fact the lower Eastern Shore from Queen Anne’s County south is now in a severe drought and has been designated as such by the state Department of the Environment.
The national drought monitor lists only 2 percent of Maryland as having had normal rainfall and that’s basically the western sliver of Garrett County in far western Maryland.
More here.
Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
No rain in sight, but not officially a drought
Officials say water supplies fine for now
Michael A. Sawyers
Cumberland Times-News Thu Sep 09, 2010, 08:01 AM EDT
— CUMBERLAND — An order to release additional water from Jennings Randolph Reservoir to augment drinking water in the Washington metropolitan area could come at any time, according to a spokesman for the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.
“The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments could in a day or so declare a drought watch,” said Curtis Dalpra, the commission’s communication officer, on Wednesday.
Such a declaration triggers releases of water — already paid for by urban utility companies — from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment near Elk Garden, W.Va. Since July, only 120 or so cubic feet of water per second has been let out of the reservoir, according to the U.S. Geological Survey webpage.
One exception to that was the last weekend of August — designated for whitewater rafting — when flows increased to about 1,000 cfs for two days.
“That wave of water dissipates long before it reaches the metro area,” Dalpra said.
In spite of the lengthy period without rain, Dalpra does not anticipate any mandatory water use restrictions throughout the basin.
“Water supply will be adequate throughout this year no matter what happens from here on out,” he said.
Locally, drinking water does not appear to be in jeopardy.
In Frostburg, for example, City Administrator John Kirby reports that the liquid larder is not a concern.
“We have been talking about the situation every Tuesday morning at staff meetings and we are in very good shape,” Kirby said.
“Piney Reservoir level is dropping a foot a week, but we have substantial amounts of reserves there. Our springs and wells on Big Savage Mountain continue to produce 200,000 gallons a day.”
Stream flows are 10 to 25 percent of normal amounts for this time of year. Wills Creek at Cumberland had just 14 cfs Wednesday. The North Branch of the Potomac at Cumberland was at 173 cfs.
“We just can’t seem to pull any storms into our area,” said local weather observer Tim Thomas. “For example, last night it rained enough to stop the Pirates game in Pittsburgh and we didn’t get a drop.”
Since May, rainfall has been well below average, For example, the 1.45 inches in June was 2.33 inches off the norm for that month. July was down another .44 inches.
“It is going to take one of the tropical storms moving inland to change our situation, but looking ahead 14 days it is still dry,” Thomas said.
Agriculture officials and farmers say hot, dry weather is killing pastures, stunting hay crops and drying up water for livestock in parts of West Virginia.
Alfred Lewis with the federal Farm Service Agency said some farmers have been feeding winter hay to livestock already.
Mineral County farmer Donnie Alt said he’s bringing water to livestock that normally drink from creeks that have gone dry. He adds that dry weather has hurt corn crops and he expects smaller yields as a result.
Despite dry weather, none of West Virginia’s 55 counties has been declared a disaster area. Federal law requires severe drought for eight straight weeks for a county to be eligible for assistance.
Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Central Maryland now in agricultural drought
Most of Central Maryland, incuding Baltimore and the surrounding counties, are now, officially, experiencing a moderate agricultural drought (tan on the map), according to the Drought Monitor map released Thursday by NOAA.
Portions of southern Anne Arundel County, Calvert and small sections of Prince George’s, Charles and St. Mary’s counties, are coping with severe drought (orange), according to the map.
Only Garrett County continues to enjoy normal conditions. The rest of the state (yellow)is rated as “abnormally dry.”
In all, 64 percent of Maryland is now classified as being in drought, up from 37 percent last week. About 4 percent is in severe drought for the first time this year.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!
