Home > News > DNR Report: Drought Not Over

Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 4:44 PM
Subject: SCDNR Special Release - Jan 22


SPECIAL NEWS RELEASE #08-01    Jan 22, 2007   DNR News (error in year)
(803) 734-3815

'SEVERE' DROUGHT STATUS MAINTAINED FOR ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT BEAUFORT,
JASPER

The S.C. Drought Response Committee met today in Columbia and
decided to maintain the drought status at "severe" for all South
Carolina counties except Jasper and Beaufort, which will remain at
moderate.  While the committee recognized that precipitation has been
above normal for the past 30 days, it has not been enough to return
streamflows, ground water, and reservoirs to the moderate drought
status. The Committee was also concerned because forecasters expect a
return to below normal rainfall for February through April 2008.
Most of the streamflows are still well below the normal flows
for this time of year, many reservoirs are below normal elevations, and
groundwater levels have only slowly started to improve from near record
low levels according to Masaaki Kiuchi, SC Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) Hydrology.  According to Daryl Jones, SC Forestry
Commission, there were double the number of fires and acres burned
during the Fall 2007 fire season. Recent rains provided short-term
relief, but as the state enters its traditional fire season, February -
April, the SC Forestry Commission is preparing for higher than normal
fire activity.  Rain events over the past six weeks have dampened light
fuels, but the moisture content inside larger fuels (i.e., downed logs)
is still very low.  David Tompkins, SC Department of Agriculture,
explained the above normal rainfall over the past few weeks has resulted
in adequate to a surplus of soil moisture, but because irrigation ponds
were so low they are only slowly responding to the much-needed rain.
Jim Witkowski, International Paper and the Industry
Representative from the Central Drought Management Area, said, "Although
several counties, from the Midlands to the coast, could have been
downgraded to moderate based on individual drought indices, the Central
Drought Management representatives decided to maintain the severe status
because of the continuing long-term effects of the drought."  Andy
Ferry, Charleston Commission of Public Works (CPW) and Southern Drought
Response Committee water system representative also emphasized that
regardless of recent higher than normal rainfall events, the southern
drought management committee decided to keep the area under a severe
drought level because the drought is a long- term, statewide issue, not
just a local one. A key factor for the Southern Drought Management Area
was the continued very low elevation of Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie.
Steve de Kozlowski, Interim DNR Land, Water and Conservation
Deputy Director, said the general consensus among the committee was that
it is too early to downgrade the drought status especially with a below
normal precipitation forecast for the next 90 days.  Lakes, rivers, and
groundwater levels remain at low levels.  The committee will meet again
in April to determine the drought status going into the growing season
and as water demand starts to increase.
The S.C. Drought Response Committee commended water systems that
have taken action to conserve water and encouraged all systems to
continue the message of water conservation.  Hope Mizzell, SC State
Climatologist, reported that based on a survey to water systems, 56% of
the SC population is under voluntary water conservation and 26% are in
mandatory.  For a full list of those water systems that have implemented
conservation actions, please visit our DNR Office of State Climatology
Drought Information Center Web site at
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Drought/drought_water_restriction.php.