MARYLAND — We haven't needed our umbrellas a lot lately and while it may be nice, it's not great for the ground.
The Maryland Department of Environment has drought warnings and watches across the state. There is not a state-issued mandatory water restriction in place, but leaders are encouraging people to conserve water use when possible.
“We’ve had a very dry year overall, and monitoring shows an impact on water availability statewide,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain. “While there is no immediate water shortage, we encourage residents and businesses to use water wisely as we continue to monitor the situation.”
Drought warnings are in place for the Eastern and Southern areas. Drought watches are in effect for Central and Western Maryland.
Because of the dry conditions a statewide burn ban is in effect. You can learn more on what that means at this link from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Here is how the warnings break down by region:
Eastern Maryland
A drought warning is in effect based on monitoring that shows lower-than-normal precipitation, stream flows and groundwater levels in shallow aquifers. Although most domestic wells in the region are deep enough to avoid any impacts, there could be impacts to shallower wells.
Central Maryland
A drought watch is based on monitoring that shows lower-than-normal precipitation, stream flows, and groundwater levels.
Western Maryland
A drought watch is in effect based on lower-than-normal precipitation. The Town of Oakland in Garrett County issued new restrictions on certain water uses due to the reservoir it relies on reaching critically low levels.
Southern Maryland
A drought warning is based on monitoring that shows lower-than-normal rainfall and groundwater levels.
Baltimore City Water Service Area
Reservoir levels are at 95 percent capacity and the area remains normal.
WSSC Water Service Area
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recently extended a drought watch. The watch has been in place since July.
Stay up-to-date on the latest forecast with Maryland's Most Accurate team. Click here for the latest forecast or download the WMAR-2 News app.
