Richmond, Va. — The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a drought watch advisory for 13 counties and a drought warning advisory for 7 counties concentrated in the northern and eastern regions of the Commonwealth. DEQ, in coordination with the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force (DMTF), evaluates precipitation, groundwater, stream flows, and reservoir levels to determine the risk and facilitate preparedness for a drought.

A drought watch advisory has been declared for the following areas:

• Eastern Shore: Accomack and Northampton counties (existing drought watch continued)
• Northern Virginia: Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, and Fairfax counties
• York-James: Hampton, Newport News, James City, York, Charles City, and New Kent counties

A drought warning advisory, which indicates that a significant drought is imminent, has been declared for the following areas:

• Shenandoah: Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren, and Clarke counties.

Several factors have contributed to the current drought watch and warning advisories in the affected regions. There was abnormally low precipitation over the last two weeks, with limited precipitation forecasted. Stream flows are below the 25thpercentile of historical normal values with flows observed below the 5thpercentile in the Shenandoah region. Groundwater levels are currently below the 5thpercentile in the Shenandoah region, below the 10thpercentile in Northern Virginia, York-James, and below the 25thpercentile in the Eastern Shore. Currently, all major water supply reservoirs throughout Virginia remain within normal ranges, except for Skidmore Fork Lake (Switzer Lake), in Harrisonburg.

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 to protect water supplies by minimizing water use, monitor drought conditions, and detect and repair leaks.

 See the current drought status on the DEQ website.