End of drought is in sight
Despite minor reductions in water level heights in January compared with December readings, water quantity on the Island remains “relatively stable” with an end to the drought in sight.
That’s the word from Greg Toner and Ken Pysher who monitor numbers supplied by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Mr. Toner and Mr. Pysher, members of the Water Advisory Committee, reported that by April 30, the town is expected to be out of the drought stage, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). At the same time, they advise, it’s wise to continue to conserve water.
The town remains classified as in “moderate drought” conditions, according to the NIDIS. An end to the that condition is just in time for an Island with peak water usage when the population increases markedly from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Just a few months ago, the Town Board considered imposing water restrictions, instead of recommending cautious use of the resource. But ultimately, the board opted to continue with voluntary limits.
Precipitation was light at 1.02 inches in November; wet in December at 5.15 inches; and January saw 3.76 inches.
“The results suggest that Islanders should maintain voluntary water conservation,” Mr. Pysher and Mr. Toner stated in their report.
The report noted that the January numbers aren’t yet officials since the USGS is in the process of modifying its recording system.
All test wells remain below their median readings for January and seven of the 13 wells had minor reductions in water height from the December readings. But the numbers aren’t considered critical since, except for the Menantic well, all other test wells are higher than their historic January lows.
The test well at Goat Hill showed a gain of almost 4.5 feet from the December readings, but the Menantic well was at its lowest recorded level for a January reading. That drop is attributed to the unusually high increase Menantic showed in December, according to the report.
