As drought conditions worsen in Vermont, state officials are asking residents to report the impacts.
On Thursday, the Agency of Natural Resources encouraged Vermonters to communicate information on dry wells and water supplies, farm losses, crop damage, low water levels in rivers, lakes and recreational areas, and other issues related to water quality or availability.
These reports help the state assess the severity of the drought, identify where and what type of assistance is needed, and make plans to address drought impacts.
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that almost 60% of Vermont is in severe drought conditions, up from 34% last week. When people report drought impacts to state officials, the data also informs the drought severity to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which can trigger action from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Internal Revenue Service to support Vermonters who may be significantly affected.
“There are actually six types of droughts, and we’re in all of them right now,” said state climatologist Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, a geography professor at the University of Vermont and chair of the Vermont Drought Task Force.
“The one that is particularly concerning right now is the hydrological drought, which is when we look at how dry the lakes, ponds, streams, and wells and groundwater supplies are because that’s the one that had been at these record low levels even going back to last fall,” she said. The state is now experiencing both short- and long-term hydrological drought, she added.
According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, this past August has been the driest on record in Vermont since 1895.
Occasional rains or thunderstorms won’t be sufficient to reverse the current conditions, as some areas of Vermont have seen nearly 8 inches less rain than usual in the past four months, and the soil moisture level is 60% to 80% below average, Thursday’s press release by the Agency of Natural Resources states.
The drought task force, composed of state and federal representatives, continues to meet regularly to monitor the situation and provide new recommendations.
People can consult the agency’s drought resources for a list of contacts to report drought conditions. The task force also recommends reducing water consumption at home.
“Any sort of drought-related impact, I think it’s important for us to hear about so that we can start deploying the resources that need to be deployed as a response,” Dupigny-Giroux said.
