Summer set in quickly this spring with warm temperatures and dry forecasts. You may already have noticed plants are looking drier and water demands spiked. The Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force will be evaluating environmental conditions and if warranted, raising the level of drought condition. The Massachusetts Drought Management Plan was recently updated with revised drought level names. There are five levels of drought selected to provide distinction between different levels of drought severity and for adequate warning of worsening drought conditions, they are:
· Level 0 – Normal
· Level 1 – Mild Drought (formerly Advisory)
· Level 2 – Significant Drought (formerly Watch)
· Level 3 – Critical Drought (formerly Warning)
· Level 4 – Emergency Drought (formerly Emergency)
Drought conditions will be considered across the Commonwealth and drought levels declared by regions. There are seven drought regions as shown in the map below. However, droughts may also be declared by individual county or watershed.
A copy of the revised Massachusetts Drought Management Plan may be obtained at the following:
The current drought status may be viewed at the following:
In addition to the state plan, individual water systems are encouraged to have system specific Drought Management Plans. Should you require assistance developing or revising your plan, please contact ResilientCE at admin@resilientce.com.
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