DEQ: Drought conditions persist across majority of Virginia, including Shenandoah Valley

A drought warning advisory has been issued to 22 counties and 13 cities in Virginia including Northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley and Roanoke River regions of the state.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force issued the advisory to heighten awareness that a significant drought is imminent.

The drought watch advisory was also expanded and now includes 61 counties and 18 cities in the Commonwealth.

Only 12 counties and seven cities are not currently under drought watch or warning advisories.

Continued precipitation deficits have resulted in further declines and sustained much-below normal streamflow, groundwater and soil moisture levels throughout most of the state, especially in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge regions.

Reservoir levels remain largely normal, except for Smith Mountain Lake, which is currently 0.2’ below the warning level threshold, and Lake Moomaw, which is currently 1.48’ below the watch threshold.

DEQ is working with local governments, public water works and water users in the affected areas to ensure that conservation and drought response plans and ordinances are followed. All Virginians should protect water supplies by minimizing water use, monitoring drought conditions and detecting and repairing leaks.

Drought warning advisory areas

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The warning was issued to the following cities and counties:

• Northern Virginia: Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.
• Roanoke River: Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties and the cities of Danville, Martinsville, Roanoke and Salem.
• Shenandoah: Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren counties and the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester.

Drought watch advisory areas

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A drought watch advisory is intended to help Virginians prepare for a potential drought and includes the following areas:

• Chowan: Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Lunenburg, Nottoway, Prince George, Southampton, Surry and Sussex counties and the cities of Emporia and Franklin.
• Middle James: Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Nelson, Powhatan and Prince Edward counties and the cities of Charlottesville, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Lynchburg, Petersburg and Richmond.
• New River: Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski and Wythe counties and the cities of Galax and Radford.
• Northern Coastal Plain: Caroline, Essex, Gloucester, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties
• Northern Piedmont: Culpeper, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Orange,  Rappahannock, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties and the city of Fredericksburg.
• Upper James: Alleghany, Bath, Botetourt, Craig, Highland and Rockbridge counties and the cities of Buena Vista, Covington, and Lexington.
• York-James: Charles City, James City, New Kent and York counties and the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg.