Drought conditions now extreme in parts of southern Maine - Press Herald

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Parts of York and Cumberland counties are now experiencing extreme drought after months of dry weather and worsening conditions, according to the United States Drought Monitor.

The state-by-state drought monitor maintained by the University of Nebraska says there are “extreme” drought conditions in more than half of York County and a small section of coastal Cumberland County, including Portland. One part of Aroostook County and a tiny sliver of Penobscot County were already in extreme drought. Most of the state is in “severe” drought, according to the drought monitor.

The drought has lasted for months, with well below-normal rainfall since mid-May, and is causing record low river levels, dry wells and concerns about the impact on ground water into next spring.

The last time Maine had such prolonged and severe drought conditions was in 2002, according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s getting worse every day,” said Tom Hawley, a meteorologist with the weather service office in Gray. “Right now, we’re expecting warm temperatures through the weekend with no rainfall. We’re hoping for some rain next week. It likely would not be enough to break the drought.”

The period from May 16 – when precipitation look a downturn – to Sept. 24 is the fourth driest on record in the Portland area since records began in 1871. In that time, there has been 8.17 inches of rain, which is 7.62 inches below average, according to the weather service.

There are now record low water levels in some Maine rivers and concern is mounting about the impact of low ground water levels could have on wells, Hawley said.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency last month launched a Dry Well Survey and has received reports of dry wells in Somerset, Waldo, Sagadahoc, Penobscot, Kennebec, Franklin, Knox and Washington Counties. The reported wells include drilled and dug wells used for residential, irrigation, livestock, and other purposes.

The state has not put any mandatory water conservation measures in place, though MEMA says some people are already voluntarily conserving water.

Maine would need 10 inches of rain in a week to help with low ground water and surface water levels, Hawley said. Some rain is expected early next week.

“The rain we get next week might help with the river levels,” Hawley said. “At this time of year we normally see ground water go down anyway. If we don’t get some good rain in the next couple months before the ground freezes, the ground water will continue to fall right through winter.”

Maine also needs a big snow season so that melting snow will help with ground water levels next spring, Hawley said.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared Aroostook County a drought disaster area, a designation that could also make farmers in four contiguous counties eligible for low interest federal emergency loans. The emergency loans may be used for restoring or replacing essential property, paying all or part of production costs, paying for essential family living expenses, reorganizing the farming operation, or refinancing debt.

Hawley suggested people take simple steps to conserve water, including not leaving water running while washing dishes and not using sprinklers to water lawns and gardens.

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Drought conditions now extreme in parts of southern Maine - Press Herald

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