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Dry Conditions Continue Across The
State
By Scott Nicholson
Watauga County is now ranked as being in “moderate
drought” by the North Carolina Drought Advisory Council.
The drought designation stretches from Watauga and Ashe counties
in the mountains across a swathe south and southeastward through
the Piedmont to the coast. The mountain areas around Asheville,
including Avery County, are rated as being in “severe drought”
and the westernmost mountain regions are ranked as “extreme
drought.”
The rankings were last updated June 5, and the remaining portion
of the state is experiencing abnormally dry conditions.
Watauga County is one of 40 listed as experiencing a moderate
drought, while seven are under severe drought.
U.S. Geologic Survey data at a water-level monitoring station
in Sugar Grove shows the Watauga River is flowing at 36 cubic
feet per second, compared to its historic level of 148 cubic
feet per second.
Over 67 years of collected data, summers are typically times
of lowest flow, but stream flows are now nearing the lowest
ever recorded.
Since records are calculated based on average and median flows,
it’s difficult to pinpoint all-time low flows, but many
river watchers have noticed dry banks where once water flowed.
The weather station at Grandfather Mountain recorded the driest
May ever, with 1.43 inches of rainfall. The previous record
was 2.22 inches in 2005, with total rainfall running 36 percent
below average at this point in the year.
Temperatures were about three degrees below average for the
month as measured at the weather station, which has collected
data for 51 years.
Richard Boylan, farm agent for the N.C. Cooperative Extension
Service, said the dry conditions have not adversely affected
early crops but are hampering germination of direct-sown seeds
such as beans, corn and squash. Coupled with the late freeze
during Easter weekend, local growers will probably feel the
effects in the market and on the table.
Boylan said more farmers are becoming interested in using irrigation
systems, particularly because the last few years have been dry.
Three regional farmers added irrigation systems last year and
the Cooperative Extension Service is holding a crop irrigation
workshop on July 21.
Meghan Baker, a farm agent working with local tree growers,
said ornamental trees had suffered but Christmas trees had fared
pretty well, since the few rains have come at opportune times.
Since trees, especially larger ones, have longer life cycles
than annual crops, they are more immune to stress from temporary
conditions.
However, Baker said the late frost had damaged some Christmas
tree seedlings in the field.
Richard DeMott, who works with a group protecting the Watauga
River, said he was concerned about plans to increase municipal
water intake from local sources. He fears conservation measures
aren’t going to be enough to offset the increased demand.
The National Weather Service is predicting a chance of showers
throughout the week for Watauga County, with partly cloudy conditions.
N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council recommendations:
• Adhere to local water use restrictions.
• Participate, as appropriate, in regional and local coordination
for the management of water resources.
• Stay informed on drought conditions and advisories -
www.ncdrought.org.
• Project water needs and available water supply for a
ninety day period from the issuance of this advisory.
• Assess your vulnerability to the drought conditions and
adjust water usage to prolong available supply.
• Inspect water delivery system components (e.g. irrigation
lines, fixtures, processing equipment, water system lines, etc.),
repair leaks and ensure that existing equipment is operating
as efficiently as possible.
• Minimize nonessential uses of water.
• Implement available public awareness and educational
outreach programs emphasizing the need to conserve water.
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