Drought in New York, April 1 to 30, 2002

A wetter pattern developed during late March that lasted through April. Although April precipitation amounts rebounded, they still remained slightly below normal. April was the tenth consecutive month of below normal precipitation across the region. Sixteen of the past 19 months, since October 2000, have been below normal. The total precipitation deficit during the past 19 months was 18.56 inches. The total deficit during the past 10 months was 15.11 inches. The region averaged 3.81 inches for April, which was 93 percent of normal. Precipitation averaged 74 percent of normal during the past 19 months and 60 percent of normal during the past 10 months.The combined storage in the New York City reservoir system at the end of the month was at 64.5 percent capacity, which was 34.0 percent below normal. Capacities in the individual reservoirs at the end of the month were: Croton System 79.6% (Percent capacity)Roundout Reservoir 94.6%Ashokan Reservoir 53.4%Schoharie Reservoir 62.5%Cannonsville Reservoir 60.4%Pepcaton Reservoir 58.9%Neversink Reservoir 57.6%The combined storage in the Upper Delaware River Basin at the Neversink, Pepcaton and Cannonsville Reservoirs was 59.3 percent capacity (approximately 160.5 billion gallons). This was 107.7 billion gallons below normal, or 40.2 percent below normal levels.Although streamflows remained below normal during April, there was some improvement during the wetter pattern. Flows in the less than 10 percent range on April 23rd included the Delaware River at Port Jervis and the Mahwah River at Suffern.Ground-water levels continued at or near record lows.Water conservation declarations were upgraded across the region, consistent with the persistent drought conditions.On the 11th, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (NYSDEC) upgraded the Drought Watch to a Drought Warning for Nassau and Suffolk Counties, bringing all counties in extreme Southeast NY from Orange and Putnam Counties south, including NYC, under a Drought Warning.