More than 90% of Virginia is experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor update.
This week’s data showed that severe drought is affecting 27.8% of the state, an increase from the 2.3% shown in last week’s report.
The severely affected areas include Martinsville, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Bedford and parts of the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia.
Moderate drought conditions are currently affecting 62.8% of the commonwealth, including the Richmond region.
On June 24, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality declared a drought warning advisory for 12 counties in the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia.
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A drought watch advisory was issued to 95 counties and cities, covering the rest of the state.
The DEQ monitors four drought indicators to determine the presence and severity of droughts. As of Thursday, the groundwater level indicator is in an emergency state across several regions, including Northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, Southwest Virginia, the York-James region and parts of Southern Virginia.
On Monday, the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force’s drought status report included recommendations to maintain the same drought warning and watch advisories from last week.
The drought status report also stated agricultural producers across all Virginia regions are seeing the dry conditions negatively impact most crops. As a result, the producers are expecting reduced corn, soybean and cotton yields.
At the Chesterfield Berry Farm in Moseley, owner Aaron Goode is preparing for the farm’s sunflower and sweet corn festivals. The farm uses irrigation methods to keep the crops going during a drought.
Goode said a couple of recent storms just missed the farm, resulting in only two-tenths of an inch of rain instead of 2 to 4 inches. But the rain that fell Thursday came as a relief.
“The half-inch helped for sure,” he said. “But it’s extremely hot out, so it won’t stay here too long.”
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Drought relief coming?
Mike Dutter, a forecaster with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Wakefield, said there will be scattered thunderstorms in the afternoons and evenings over the next seven days, with the eastern half of the state most likely to receive rainfall.
Dutter added that while the rainfall will provide short-term relief to crops, lawns and gardens in some areas, no widespread or long-term relief is expected during that time.
For the regions with the most need such as the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia, not much rain is expected in the next week.
After Saturday, the temperatures are expected to become more “seasonable” but, as Dutter pointed out, seasonably warm still means temperatures in the low 90s.
Water restrictions on the horizon?
While there are currently no state-mandated water restrictions in place, some Northern Virginia localities have issued mandatory or voluntary restrictions.
The conditions are not as severe in central Virginia, but the surrounding cities and counties are keeping close watch in case the drought continues to progress.
Robert Wilson, executive director of the Appomattox River Water Authority, said Lake Chesdin was sitting 8.5 inches below the top of the Brasfield Dam as of Monday.
The lake, located on the border of Chesterfield and Dinwiddie counties, serves those two communities plus Prince George, Petersburg and Colonial Heights.
The ARWA has a sliding scale of drought triggers depending on the time of year. During July, the ARWA would declare a Stage I Drought Watch if Lake Chesdin goes 28.8 inches below the dam.
In that instance, voluntary water restrictions would be put in place. Mandatory restrictions would go into effect if the lake drops 58.8 inches below the dam.
Wilson said that while the current levels are not a cause for concern, the ARWA is being proactive by updating residents on the drought conditions and offering water conservation recommendations.
“We just suggest things like this for people so number one, they can save on their water bill; number two, we can conserve our natural resource,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, everybody’s got to have water for everything.”
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Thad Green
Richmond and Chesterfield County Reporter
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