Drought Status in Orange County:
Moderate Drought
As of August 18th, 2009 Orange County has been classified as being in drought stage D1- Moderate Drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Joint Agricultural Weather Facility and National Water and Climate Center), the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center, National Climatic Data Center, and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Stage D1 drought means that there is "Some damage to crops, pastures; streams, reservoirs, or wells low, some water shortages developing or imminent; voluntary water-use restrictions requested." The NC Drought Monitoring Advisory Council (NCDMAC) has also classified Orange County as being in drought stage D1- Moderate Drought. The NCDMAC advises all water users in the counties that are indicated on the US Drought Monitor Map as suffering from Moderate Drought (D1) conditions to enact the following precautions in addition to previous advisories until further notice:
- Adhere to local water use restrictions.
- Participate, as appropriate, in regional and local coordination for the management of water resources.
- Stay informed on drought conditions and advisories (www.ncdrought.org).
- Project water needs and available water supply for a ninety day period from the issuance of this advisory.
- Assess your vulnerability to the drought conditions and adjust water usage to prolong available supply.
- Inspect water delivery system components (e.g. irrigation lines, fixtures, processing equipment, water system lines, etc.), repair leaks and ensure that existing equipment is operating as efficiently as possible.
- Minimize nonessential uses of water.
- Implement available public awareness and educational outreach programs emphasizing the need to conserve water.
For further information: http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/DM_state.htm?NC,SE