Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is declaring a Stage 2 drought advisory for all eight counties in Connecticut due to far below normal precipitation levels and ongoing fire danger levels statewide.
A Stage 2 drought advisory is intended as an awareness stage, identifying an emerging drought event that could potentially impact water supplies, agriculture, or natural ecosystems. It is the second of five levels under the Connecticut Drought Preparedness and Response Plan, with Stage 1 being the lowest and Stage 5 the most extreme.
“The lack of rain over the past two months has caused exceptionally dry conditions across Connecticut, resulting in numerous wildfires and reduced groundwater levels and streamflows,” Governor Lamont said. “We want to raise awareness that as this lack of rain continues, there is a possibility that this emerging drought event could intensify, which is why we want to encourage everyone right now to be mindful of their water consumption and take some simple, sensible steps to stretch water supplies.”
Last month, Governor Lamont declared a state of emergency to assist the state in its response to the ongoing lack of precipitation and critical fire weather conditions. That emergency declaration remains in effect. Shortly after the declaration was issued, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection enacted a burn ban that prohibits the use of outdoor grills, firepits, campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors at all state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas statewide. That burn ban also remains in effect.
The decision to declare a Stage 2 drought advisory comes to the governor at the recommendation of the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup, a state body consisting of representatives from several state agencies who meet as necessary to assess drought conditions and make recommendations to the governor on the state’s response. The group met on Thursday afternoon. They based their recommendation on an assessment of indicator data monitored by state and federal agencies, including precipitation, surface waters, groundwater, reservoirs, soil moisture, vegetation, and fire danger conditions.
“We have experienced significantly drier than normal conditions this fall,” Office of Policy and Management Undersecretary Martin Heft, chairman of the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup, said. “In terms of precipitation, we have had the driest two-month period ever recorded since records began in 1905 and have seen the impacts with increased fire danger conditions. We must begin early steps now to mitigate the potential for harm should the drought be prolonged.”
During this Stage 2 drought advisory, some action items that residents and businesses in Connecticut are encouraged to voluntarily take to aid in minimizing future drought impact include:
- Shutting down automatic outdoor irrigation;
- Minimizing overall water use by fixing leaky plumbing and fixtures; and
- Following any conservation requests issued by local water suppliers and municipalities.
Rainfall and droughts do not follow political boundaries, and impacts can be more severe at certain locations. Those who depend on private wells, fire or irrigation ponds, and other highly localized water resources should be especially mindful of local conditions, especially in places where previous droughts have affected supplies.
The five levels of drought advisories under the state’s drought plan are:
- Stage 1: Below normal conditions
- Stage 2: Incipient drought
- Stage 3: Moderate drought
- Stage 4: Severe drought
- Stage 5: Extreme drought
The most recent time any drought advisories were issued in Connecticut was during the summer and fall of 2022 when six counties reached Stage 2 and two counties were elevated to Stage 3.
The Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup consists of representatives from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Department of Public Health, the Office of Policy and Management, and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, with assistance from the National Weather Service and the United States Geological Survey.
More information on the workgroup and the state’s drought plan can be found online at portal.ct.gov/Water/Drought/Drought-Home.
