Drought in New Jersey, December 1 to 31, 2001

Unseasonably dry weather continued across New Jersey during the month of December. While more precipitation fell during December than either October or November, it was still drier than normal. On a county weighted average, monthly precipitation totals ranged from 1.6 inches in Cape May County to 2.5 inches in Sussex County. Normal is around 3.7 inches. The continued dry weather, the drop in stream flow and groundwater levels and the reduced levels in the New York State reservoirs prompted the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection to upgrade the drought watch to a drought warning for counties in the Delaware River Basin and southern New Jersey on November 21st. The drought warning included all or part of the following counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, Sussex and Warren. The drought warning gives the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) greater authority to control water distribution and transfers among the major reservoir systems and to temporarily modify water allocation permits. Individual municipalities can also set their own restrictions.The DEP asked residents to use good water conservation practices but there were no mandatary restrictions unless required by an individual township. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3rd when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. This triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. Diversions to northern New Jersey through the Delaware and Raritan Canal was reduced to 65 million gallons a day from 100 million gallons a day. As precipitation continued to be below normal, the New York City reservoirs failed to rise and were about 50 percent below normal for December. They were at their lowest level since the last of the three reservoirs went on line in 1967. The Delaware River Basin Commission declared a drought emergency on December 18th. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. All of these bodies of water are in Pennsylvania. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself, especially in southern New Jersey. The salt front along the Delaware River was approximately 11 miles farther upstream than it normally is during December. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contigency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. Signs of the drought were apparent across the state. On December 3rd, 20 percent of all streams were at record low flow for the calendar day. Another 40 percent were threatening record lows. As of December 5th, that number increased to 25 percent. Water was being released from the Round Valley Reservoir to meet mandatory flow requirements for the Raritan River. In Sussex County, both Hopatcong and Sussex Boroughs restricted water use. Wells in Morris County were below normal and the flow along the Rockaway River (on the 30th) was one fifth of normal.During 2001, precipitation was well below average. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total of 35.84 inches was the fourth driest year on record and the driest year since 1965. Normal is 47.19 inches. On a county weighted average, yearly precipitation totals ranged from 31.3 inches in Cumberland County to 39.6 inches in Hunterdon County. The deficiencies ranged from 8.4 inches in Gloucester County to 13.5 inches in Morris County. Most of the deficit came in the second half of the year. The yearly precipitation total of 30.02 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport was 10.27 inches below normal and the third driest year on record.