The Shenandoah Valley is seeing extreme drought conditions including emergency levels for both groundwater and streamflow, according to a new report released today from the Department of Environmental Quality.
The Shenandoah Valley isn’t alone with a drought warning advisory being issued for 60 counties and cities in Virginia. The Shenandoah region includes Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren and Clarke counties.
A drought watch advisory also remains for 32 counties and cities. In Chowan and Southeast Virginia, due to recent precipitation and improvements in groundwater levels, the drought watch advisory has been lifted.
In coordination with the state Drought Monitoring Task Force, the DEQ has reviewed advisories based on recent precipitation volume and temperatures.
Precipitation over the central and western part of the state has been sparse leading to exceptional dryness within large portions of the Shenandoah, Upper James, New River, Roanoke and Big Sandy drought evaluation regions.
Stream flows are currently below the 25th percentile of normal values for seven of the 13 drought evaluation regions with three of these regions currently below the 5th percentile (Big Sandy, Roanoke River and Shenandoah).
Groundwater levels for monitoring wells in the climate response network have shown continued declines within the central and western portion of the Commonwealth with nine regions currently below the 25th percentile. Of these, groundwater levels within six drought monitoring regions are currently below the 5th percentile including the Big Sandy, New River, Upper James, Shenandoah, Northern Virginia and York-James.
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 are encouraged by DEQ to protect water supplies by minimizing water use, monitoring drought conditions and detecting and repairing leaks.
See the current drought status in Virginia on the DEQ website.
Drought warning advisories
A drought warning advisory indicates a significant drought is imminent and is in effect for the following areas:
- Big Sandy: Lee, Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Scott, Russell, Tazewell, Washington and Smyth counties
- Middle James: Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, and Nelson counties and the cities of Charlottesville and Lynchburg
- New River: Grayson, Wythe, Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Pulaski, Giles and Montgomery counties
- Northern Piedmont: Greene, Madison, Rappahannock, Orange, Culpeper, Louisa, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties
- Northern Virginia: Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington and Fairfax counties
- Roanoke River: Patrick, Franklin, Roanoke, Henry, Bedford, Pittsylvania, Campbell, Halifax, Charlotte and Mecklenburg counties
- Shenandoah: Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren and Clarke counties
- Upper James: Craig, Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Botetourt and Rockbridge counties
Drought watch advisories
A drought watch advisory is intended to help Virginians prepare for a potential drought and remains in effect for the following areas:
- Eastern Shore: Accomack and Northampton counties
- Middle James: Fluvanna, Prince Edward, Cumberland, Goochland, Amelia, Powhatan, Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover counties and the cities of Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights.
- Northern Coastal Plain: Caroline, King George, King William, King and Queen, Essex, Richmond, Westmoreland, Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, Lancaster and Northumberland counties
- York-James: Hampton, Newport News, James City, York, Charles City and New Kent counties
Regions lifted from drought watch advisory
The following regions have been lifted from a drought watch advisory:
- Chowan: Lunenburg, Nottoway, Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Sussex, Prince George, Southampton and Surry counties
- Southeast Virginia: Suffolk, Isle of Wight, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Norfolk
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Crystal Graham
