Drought Conditions Growing; Wildfires a Concern

RALEIGH -- Drought conditions in North Carolina have spread from the Tennessee border to the Piedmont, prompting stronger water conservation measures and growing concerns about woodland fire conditions.

Voluntary water conservation measures are now in effect in 16 communities and mandatory water conservation steps have been initiated in five municipal water systems, according to the state Division of Water Resources.

Greensboro is taking action to secure some water from neighboring systems on an emergency basis. The Piedmont city is pumping 3 million gallons a day more than it did in 1997. Greensboro has only about one-half of its water supply left. In response, city officials say they plan to go from voluntary to mandatory conservation status this week.

The Regional Water Authority of Asheville, Buncombe and Henderson counties moved from voluntary to mandatory water conservation last week for many of its customers. The town of Hillsborough is under mandatory water conservation measures and Siler City officials are having to borrow water from neighboring water systems.

Voluntary water conservation steps are in effect for Lansing, Cabarrus County, Concord, Harrisburg, Kannapolis, Siler City, Clay County, Hayesville, Greensboro, Big Sheep Cliffs and Wade Hampton in Jackson County, Highlands, Marshall, Bakersville, Swiss Pine Lakes, Chimney Rock and Beech Mountain. Mandatory water conservation has begun in Asheville, Woodfin, Andrews, Hillsborough and Blowing Rock.

Conservation measures differ, but voluntary conservation measures are requested when conditions show a potential for serious water supply shortages. Voluntary water conservation measures can include:

  • taking showers rather than tub baths;
  • fixing leaks in water lines;
  • using sink and tub stoppers to avoid wasting water;
  • installing flow restricting devices on sink and shower faucets;
  • watering lawns only when necessary; and
  • reducing the time lawn sprinklers are used.
    • Under mandatory conservation, local governments prohibit waste of water and most outdoor water use; such limitations are backed by power to issue citations or fines.

    Carl Johnson of the Division of Forest Resources said the drought is causing some concern about forest fires during October -December, the state's fall fire season. He said the rainfall of Tuesday "will help some, but unless it lasts for several days, the soil will return to the basic dry condition that we've been facing."

    "After a good killing frost and the leaves fall, many people rake and burn much of this debris," Johnson said. "Obviously, maximum care needs to be taken and proper permits obtained to do this burning."

    Johnson said "in wildland fire, we use a drought index that ranges from 0-wet to 800-near desert conditions. Through the fall, most of our reporting stations are between 450 and 600, with some 650's in the western and southwestern mountains."

    He said a second concern for the forestry division is "how this weather pattern sets us up for our spring fire season. History has shown us that dry winters set us up for a potentially disastrous spring. The combination of low humidity and high winds can make any fire in the woods potentially lethal."

    The state's Drought Monitoring Council has been tracking the drought conditions for months. Research by its members indicates reduced rainfall from the mountains eastward through this winter and into the spring. Stream flows in the mountains are at levels expected to occur only once every 10 to 50 years. Streams and rivers in the Piedmont are experiencing low water flows approaching 5 to 10-year levels.

    The Council two weeks ago activated its Water Source Task Force to speed water conservation advice and help to municipal and private water supply systems. Some of the far western streams that feed water supply reservoirs from the Tennessee border to Asheville are at 50-year low levels, according to Tony Young, chairman of the Drought Monitoring Council. Many of the municipal reservoirs, Young said, "simply weren't built to accommodate the water needs of today's population or meet the low-water levels of a continuing drought."

    The long-term drought, according to the office of the State Climatologist, developed from last year's "La Nina" effect on waters in the Pacific Ocean. "The storms that normally bring moisture to North Carolina from the oceans have been tracking more eastward and our mountains have not been receiving as much rainfall as normal," said climatologist Sethu Raman. The long-term forecast of rainfall, he said, "indicates much the same effect can continue."

    Raman said lack of rain has left Mount Mitchell, the state's highest point, with no rain of significance since May.

    Terry Brown of the US Army Corps of Engineers reported to state water officials that Jordan Lake's water quality pool is dropping. He said the Corps will be reducing the release of water to downstream users to conserve the remaining storage for water quality releases.

    "If below average rainfall continues, as forecast, through the spring of 1999 and stream flows continue to drop," Brown told the Council, "the result may be a severe drought at the B. Everett Jordan, Falls, and John H. Kerr reservoirs."

    Those reservoirs serve as water supply for much of Raleigh and several other urban areas in the central Piedmont.

    Woody Yonts, a water supply engineer with the Division of Water Resources, said Eastern North Carolina is in better shape because coastal storms, like Hurricane Bonnie, have brought sufficient rains to the area.

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    Contact Person: Don Reuter, 919/715-4112

    Date Posted: 11/3/98