11/4/16
by News Department on 11/04/16Drought watch...
The state Department of Environmental Protection has declared a drought warning for four counties and increased the number of counties on drought watch status to 30 following a meeting Wednesday of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force.
Schuylkill County and surrounding counties are included in the drought watch.
According to the Republican Herald, data from the commonwealth drought monitoring network show that dry conditions persisting in the middle of the state and lack of precipitation in the eastern part of the state have deepened precipitation deficits, resulting in extremely low stream flow and groundwater levels, particularly in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas in the Delaware River Basin.
Citizens under the drought watch are encouraged to reduce their nonessential water use by 5 percent.
