Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a drought warning for all of New Jersey, giving the state a stronger hand in working with water system operators and intensifying calls for water conservation by the public.
The action Nov. 13 comes after October became the driest month ever recorded in the state; records were started in 1895. September was the third-driest September in the state’s history.
The state last declared a drought warning in March 2002. That designation lasted 10 months before it was lifted. Unless conditions improve, the next and final step would be to declare a drought emergency, under which businesses and homes would be hit with mandatory water restrictions.
Officials project that the state needs 10 inches of rainfall, but there is no prospect of such precipitation in the near term.
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows most of New Jersey already in severe drought, with five counties having all or portions of their area in extreme drought. The Drought Monitor is a partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The organization publishes weekly maps showing drought conditions across the country.
In his remarks declaring the drought warning, Murphy said, “New Jersey is experiencing unprecedented weather conditions – as a result of climate change – that require us to take these precautionary measures now.”
Drought conditions are taking a toll on the Garden State’s farms, slowing planting, harming pastures and forcing new expense for livestock feed. With Thanksgiving around the corner, the state’s cranberry farms are being hit especially hard. Farmers made it through much of this season, but low water levels threaten the long-term health of vines.
The state had been in a drought watch since Oct. 12. The move to the drought warning designation not only signifies that conditions have worsened, it also gives the state Department of Environmental Protection a formal process for working with water system suppliers in impacted regions.
The warning designation enables the DEP to more closely manage water systems by directing water transfers among systems, controlling releases from reservoirs and modifying the rate of flow in streams and rivers in order to balance ecological protection and needs of water suppliers.
New Jersey American Water, which supplies water to Ocean City and significant portions of Upper and Middle townships, followed the state’s drought warning with its own statewide conservation notice, urging customers to eliminate all nonessential water usage, including a pause on all outdoor watering until spring.
The state intensified its call for the public to conserve water, urging an end to lawn irrigation. It recommends use of commercial car washes that recycle water, necessary upgrades to home bathroom fixtures and attention to leaky faucets and pipes.
A DEP press release noted: “The southern half of the state, in particular, has been grappling with below-normal precipitation, with deficits approaching 10 inches below normal over the last three months.”
Firefighters across New Jersey are battling a number of wildfires during the dry spell, the release said. Since early October, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has responded to 537 wildfires, a more than 1,300% increase in wildfires over the same period last year. Since the start of the year, nearly 1,300 wildfires have burned over 11,000 acres.
The Jennings Creek wildfire, burning along New Jersey’s border with New York, claimed the life of New York State parks system employee as he fought the fire on Saturday, Nov. 9.
As a result of the extremely dry conditions, mandatory statewide Stage 3 fire restrictions remain in effect, the press release says. These restrictions prohibit all fires unless they are contained in an elevated stove using only propane, natural gas or electricity. No wood or charcoal fires are allowed, and the use of kerosene or gas torches of any kind is prohibited.
In an ironic development, the National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood watch for Thursday, Nov. 14, from 4 a.m. until Friday, Nov. 15, at noon. An approaching full moon and strong northeast winds overnight could combine to cause moderate coastal flooding Thursday and Friday mornings.
Water supply status information is being posted and updated for the public at njdrought.org. Information on conservation is available on the DEP website at dep.nj.gov/conserve-water/.
Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
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