Drought in New Jersey, November 1 to 30, 2001

Unseasonably dry weather continued through November of 2001. On a statewide average the preliminary monthly precipitation total for November was 1.03 inches, the 6th driest November on record. The combination preliminary statewide average of 2.06 inches for both October and November was the driest on record dating back to 1895. 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 lack of adequate precipitation became more apparent as the month went along. On November 13th, the Great Egg Harbor, Manasquan, Toms and Mullica Rivers were at record low levels for the date. The same was true for about one quarter of all the rivers and streams in the state. The state forestry service banned all ground level campfires in wooded areas. On November 16th, the Metedeconk River near Lakewood joined the list of streams with record low flows. Brick Township (Ocean County) asked residents to voluntarily reduce their water usage. In both Sussex and Atlantic Counties shallow wells were drying up and permits for deeper wells were increasing. Twenty-five residents in Wawayanda (Sussex County) ran out of water. On November 21st, flow along the Mullica River at Batsto (Burlington County) was at a new record low and only 14 percent of normal. Groundwater wells in Sussex, Mercer and Cumberland Counties were either within a foot of or setting (Deerfield Township in Cumberland County) new record lows. Winter crops such as rye and grasses were struggling. On a county weighted average, monthly precipitation totals ranged from 0.7 inches in Cape May County to 1.2 inches in Sussex and Warren Counties. All were less than 31 percent of normal. Normal county averages are around 3.6 inches. The November monthly precipitation total at the Atlantic City International Airport was 1.06 inches, the fifth driest on record. At the Marina within Atlantic City, the monthly precipitation total of 0.85 inches was the 6th driest on record. At the Mercer County Airport, the monthly precipitation total was 0.76 inches.