July 7, 2023
Contact: Irina Calos
(804) 698-1333
Irina.Calos@deq.virginia.gov
DROUGHT WATCH ADVISORY LIFTED FOR NORTHERN PIEDMONT
Eastern Shore and Shenandoah drought evaluation regions remain within drought watch
Richmond, Va. — The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has lifted the Drought Watch Advisory for the Northern Piedmont drought evaluation region, which includes Greene, Madison, Rappahannock, Orange, Culpeper, Louisa, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties.
Since the initial drought watch advisory was issued on June 9, conditions have improved throughout much of the Commonwealth, although an advisory remains in effect for the Eastern Shore and Shenandoah drought evaluation regions, which include Northampton, Accomack, Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren, and Clarke counties.
The advisory is being lifted for select localities because drought watch indicators in the state’s Drought Assessment and Response Plan have improved. According to the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, an interagency group representing state and federal agencies, the primary factors contributing to the lifting of the drought advisory include:
- Much of the area covered by the drought watch advisory have received above normal precipitation over the last 14 days, ranging from 200-400% of normal.
- These regions now show normal to near-normal streamflow conditions.
- Groundwater levels in observation wells across these regions have begun to show recovery following recent precipitation events.
- Storage at major water supply reservoirs throughout Virginia are within normal ranges.
DEQ continues to work with local governments, public water works, and the public in the remaining two affected regions, and requests that users minimize water use, monitor drought conditions, and detect and repair leaks. Statewide information on the current drought status is available on the DEQ website.
