Drought in Pennsylvania, December 1 to 31, 2001

Unseasonably dry weather continued across Eastern Pennsylvania 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 2.1 inches in Chester County to 2.9 inches in Carbon County. Normal is around 3.6 inches. On December 5th, Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection Secretary David E. Hess upgraded the drought watch in Eastern Pennsylvania to a drought warning. Groundwater levels were continuing to decline with streamflow levels reaching near record low levels in some cases. A drought warning calls for a 10 to 15 percent voluntary reduction in water consumption. Methods to conserve water include fixing leaking toilets and faucets, running dishwashers and washing machines at full loads only, replacing old toilets with newer ones, installing water efficient showerheads and turning off the water while brushing teeth or shaving. Due to low groundwater supplies, Upper Makefield Township (Bucks County) declared a drought emergency. 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. 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. 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. 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. The dry weather during the fall caused a below normal (in size) potato crop in the state. The wetter weather during December did have one positive effect. The outdoor burning ban in West Penn Township was lifted on December 5th and the countywide burning ban in Monroe County was lifted on December 19th. For the year 2001, precipitation was well below average. On a county weighted average, it ranged from 31.0 inches in Philadelphia County to 40.3 inches in Bucks County. The deficiencies ranged from 4.2 inches in Bucks County to 13.1 inches in Philadelphia County. Most of the deficit came in the second half of the year. The 30.99 inch total at the Philadelphia International Airport was 10.42 inches below normal and the sixth driest year on record.