Drought in New Jersey, July 1 to 31, 2002

The unseasonably warm and dry month of July intensified drought conditions across the state. In spite of mandatory restrictions, water usage increased as the month wore on. Water usage statewide was down by as much as 20 percent in May and June. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total for the month of July was 1.52 inches, the 6th driest July on record since 1895. Normal is 4.49 inches. As July wore on streamflow and groundwater levels dropped again. In the southern part of the state as of July 22nd groundwater levels in the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer reached record low levels for July. Streamflow on the Maurice, Great Egg and Oswego Rivers were also approaching record lows.The number of municipalities declaring tighter restrictions increased. In Woolwich Township (Gloucester County) and Roxbury Township (Morris County) moratoriums on water allocation permits stopped ongoing developments. Brick Township in Ocean County banned all unnecessary watering in the township and also in Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach as sand intruded in one well. The municipal authority could not draw water from the Metedeconk River because of salt water intrusion. In Cumberland County, residents in one Vineland community were invaded by crayfish after the Burnt Mill Pond went dry and the creatures went looking for water. Due to the normal to above normal precipitation from March through June, early crops were not affected by the drought. But, as the month wore on, they were showing signs of stress. The second cutting of hay in Sussex County was stopped because of inadequate moisture. Subsoil conditions were becoming dry. It was estimated that up to 50 percent of the corn crop in Hunterdon County could be lost. Flow along the Assunpink Creek was at a 19 year low. Any plans of opening the Mercer Oaks East Golf Course this year were cancelled. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3, 2001 when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18, 2001. Both 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. 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. As of July 31st, the salt front along the Delaware River was one mile farther upstream than its normal July position. 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 contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River decreased from 89.0 percent of capacity on July 1st to 77.1 percent of capacity on July 31st. The northern New Jersey reservoirs were at about 80 percent of capacity as of July 31st, slightly below normal. For the month streamflow on the Delaware River was about 75 percent of normal. On a county weighted average, July monthly precipitation totals ranged from 1.1 inches in Hunterdon County to 2.5 inches in Camden County. The least precipitation fell across the Raritan River Basin. Monthly precipitation totals were 1.07 inches (second driest on record) at the Atlantic City International Airport and 0.60 inches in Trenton. The monthly precipitation total of 0.86 inches at the Atlantic City Marina was the 6th driest July on record.