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Impact of New Jersey Drought: Fires, Reservoirs, Agriculture

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Impact of New Jersey Drought: Fires, Reservoirs, Agriculture

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The Garden State is on track to experience its driest month on record after the third-driest September, with the last significant amounts of rain falling in the first ten days of August.

Last Thursday, the state issued a drought warning and urged residents and businesses to voluntarily conserve water after three months of below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures continued to strain the state's water supply.

New Jersey state climatologist David Robinson said last month turned out to be the third driest September in New Jersey, with records going back to 1895. “So the third driest September in 130 years is pretty impressive,” he said. “But that's nothing compared to what October brought us, because basically the vast majority of New Jersey didn't get a drop of rain this month.”

He continued, “At one station in Cape May County there was a drop of one-tenth of an inch and at some stations above High Point there was eight-hundredths of an inch … and that is incredibly unusual.”

Robinson said New Jersey typically gets an average of 4.19 inches of rain in October and about 4 inches in September.

If this trend continues and we have no rain by October 31st, this month could be New Jersey's driest on record.

The Impact of Drought on the Garden State

On Tuesday, the northern half of New Jersey was classified as “unusually dry” by drought.gov, indicating a “region entering or emerging from drought.”

According to the website, typical impacts of an unusually dry region include:

  • Short-term drought slows sowing, the growth of crops or pastures.
  • Some persistent water deficits.
  • Pastures or crops were not fully restored.

The southern half of the state is classified as experiencing “moderate drought,” while one section is experiencing “severe drought.”

That drought has begun to affect New Jersey in a variety of ways, Robinson said, from wildfires to agriculture to reservoirs falling below average for this time of year.

The state Department of Environmental Protection's drought information page says storage in reservoirs has been declining in recent months.

One of the state's biggest concerns right now is the fire threat, Robinson said.

Several increased fire weather warnings were issued during the month, warning that any fires could be difficult to contain.

“The grasses go dormant and can no longer hold as much water, so they become fuel. Leaves fall from the trees, they become fuel when they lie on the forest floor. “You just need a spark to ignite something, which is a…dangerous situation,” Robinson said.

A fire burned in Rockaway Township over the weekend and earlier this week, scorching 77 acres near Jacobs Road.

Although there are concerns, the timing of this drought is “good news,” Robinson said, as it would be much more concerning if the state experienced such a drought in the spring and early summer months.

“The best news of all this is that we're talking on October 22nd, not May 22nd or June 22nd, because at that rate we would probably move from a drought watch to a drought warning very quickly,” Robinson said. “At the end of October things cool down… plants go dormant so they don't use as much water. People are turning off their sprinklers… the danger to the reservoir is no longer as great.” Values ​​fall almost as quickly in November as they did in July.

Although there are some concerns about agriculture, Robinson said it would be much more concerning during the growing season.

Campfire restrictions

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service announced Monday that a stage three campfire restriction is in effect in all 21 counties, meaning all fires in forest areas are prohibited unless they are contained to an elevated stove, which only Propane, natural gas, gas or electricity used.

Charcoal fires also are not allowed in forest areas, the service said, and agricultural fires are not allowed in forests.

The limit was put in place because the entire state is at a “very high” fire risk, as shown on the New Jersey Forest Fire Service Restrictions dashboard.

When will it rain in New Jersey?

No rain is forecast for at least the next seven days.

Robinson said the eight to 14 day forecast also suggests it will remain dry, but at this point that is not final.

“Normally I'm really reluctant to talk about records when the end of the month is about ten days away, but when you look at the forecast models and the pattern we've been in for a few weeks now “It's not an exaggeration to say “This could well be New Jersey’s driest month on record,” he said. “But I can’t say definitively until the calendar turns.”

Beyond the next few weeks, Robinson said, we just don't know what to expect: “There's no indication, there's no outlook that suggests this dry pattern will continue into the winter, just as there are no signs of it.” There is a rain pattern emerging.”

Overall, New Jersey has become wetter in recent decades, but precipitation patterns have become more variable, with dry periods followed by large amounts of rain, Robinson said.

New Jersey has not had a drought emergency with mandatory water use restrictions since March 2002.

Ways to save water

While the region is under drought watch and reducing water use is voluntary, Robinson emphasized that we should always be aware of how limited our freshwater reserves are in New Jersey.

He recommends residents focus on only loading their dishwashers or washing machines to capacity, taking shorter showers when possible and keeping an eye out for leaky faucets.

“A lot of people just turn on the water when they're brushing their teeth, and two minutes later they're done brushing, then they turn the water off. Turn it off while you brush your teeth,” Robinson said. “You know, if you save a gallon of water a day, multiplied by 9 million people, that’s a lot of water.”

For more ways to save water this fall, check out these tips from the Department of Environmental Protection:

  • Use a commercial car wash instead of washing your car at home.
  • Postpone water-intensive gardening tasks.
  • Sweep patios, driveways and walkways. Never spray paved surfaces.
  • Fix leaks around your home and in your irrigation system.
  • If you still water your plants, lawns and gardens, they will require less water in the fall. Use a rain barrel or watering can.
  • Install low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets.
  • Shower for five minutes.
  • Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.
  • Only run your washing machine and dishwasher when they are full.
  • Raise the lawn mower blades to at least 3 inches to encourage deeper grass roots that hold water better.

For current information on the status of New Jersey's water supply, visit dep.nj.gov/drought.

Staff writer Lucas Frau contributed to this article.

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