View as a webpage  /  Share

DROUGHT WATCH ADVISORY DECLARATION

In response to existing conditions and to increase public awareness of the potential for a significant drought the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a drought watch advisory for 95 localities within the following Drought Evaluation Region(s).

• Big Sandy: Lee, Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Scott, Russell, Tazewell, Washington and Smyth counties
• Chowan: Lunenburg, Nottoway, Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Sussex, Prince George, Southampton, and Surry counties
• Eastern Shore: Accomack and Northampton counties
• New River: Grayson, Wythe, Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Pulaski, Giles, and Montgomery counties
• Northern Coastal Plain: Caroline, King George, King William, King and Queen, Essex, Richmond, Westmoreland, Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, Lancaster, and Northumberland counties
• Northern Piedmont: Greene, Madison, Rappahannock, Orange, Culpeper, Louisa, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties
• Middle James: Amherst, Lynchburg, Nelson, Albemarle, Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Prince Edward, Cumberland, Goochland, Amelia, Powhatan, Chesterfield, Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Henrico, and Hanover counties
• Roanoke River: Patrick, Franklin, Roanoke, Henry, Bedford, Pittsylvania, Campbell, Halifax, Charlotte, and Mecklenburg counties
• Southeast Virginia: Suffolk, Isle of Wight, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Norfolk
• Upper James: Craig, Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Botetourt, and Rockbridge counties
• York-James: Hampton, Newport News, James City, York, Charles City, and New Kent counties

A drought watch advisory is intended to increase awareness of conditions and facilitate preparation for a drought when indicators in Virginia’s Drought Assessment and Response Plan have been met. The interagency Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force considered the following in declaring a Drought Watch advisory:

• Precipitation deficits are substantially below normal for the recent 7-30 day period across the Commonwealth, in combination with extreme heat over the next 7-10 day period rapid intensification of drought conditions will occur.
• Streamflow is currently below the 25th percentile for all drought evaluation regions in Virginia, with flows below the 5th percentile observed in some areas. 
• Groundwater levels for monitoring wells within the climate response network are below normal values, in addition available soil moisture continues to decline as a result of limited precipitation.
• Much above average temperatures and below normal precipitation is forecasted for the next 6-14 day period. 

“With this advisory, DEQ is sending notifications to all local governments, public water works and private sector water users who withdraw more than 10,000 gallons per day in the affected areas, and is requesting that they prepare for the onset of a drought event by developing or reviewing existing water conservation and drought response plans. Through the drought watch advisory, Virginia is encouraging localities, public and private water suppliers and self-supplied water users in the affected localities to voluntarily take these steps to help protect current water supplies:

· Minimize nonessential water use.

· Review existing or develop new local water conservation and drought contingency plans and take conservation actions consistent with those plans.

· Include water conservation information on local websites and distribute water conservation information as broadly as possible.

· Continue monitoring the condition of public waterworks and self-supplied water systems in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health.

· Impose water use restrictions when consistent with local water supply conditions.

· Aggressively pursue leak detection and repair programs.

The next stage after a drought watch would be a “drought warning,” which would be issued if conditions warrant. Drought warning responses are required when the onset of a significant drought event is imminent. Water conservation and contingency plans that are already in place or have been prepared during a drought watch stage would begin to be implemented. In accordance with the Virginia’s Drought Assessment and Response Plan, water conservation activities at this Drought Watch stage would generally be voluntary. This does not preclude localities issuing mandatory restrictions if appropriate.

“Statewide information on the current drought status is available on the DEQ website.”