RICHMOND — The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), in coordination with the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, has extended a drought watch advisory to cover 55 counties, up from the previous advisory that only included 13 counties, according to a press release.
Only seven counties are still under a drought warning advisory. The impact is felt across all areas except for southwest Virginia, the Middle Peninsula, and Tidewater. The DEQ stated that while recent rain has provided some relief in the short term, it hasn’t been enough to counteract the observed deficits in soil moisture, streamflow, and groundwater levels.
A drought warning advisory means that a significant drought is imminent and is active in the Shenandoah region, which encompasses Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren, and Clarke counties.
A drought watch advisory aims to help Virginians ready themselves for a possible drought and has been declared for the following areas:
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Middle James: Amherst, Lynchburg, Nelson, Albemarle, Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Prince Edward, Cumberland, Goochland, Amelia, Powhatan, Chesterfield, Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Henrico, and Hanover counties
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Northern Piedmont: Greene, Madison, Rappahannock, Orange, Culpeper, Louisa, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties Roanoke River: Patrick, Franklin, Roanoke, Henry, Bedford, Pittsylvania, Campbell, Halifax, Charlotte, and Mecklenburg counties
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Upper James: Craig, Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Botetourt, and Rockbridge counties
A drought watch advisory is still active for the following areas:
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Eastern Shore: Accomack and Northampton counties
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Northern Virginia: Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, and Fairfax counties York-James: Hampton, Newport News, James City, York, Charles City, and New Kent counties
Augusta County designated Drought Disaster Area by USDA
Augusta County has recently been designated as a drought disaster area by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Livestock producers may qualify for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program. Augusta County farmers affected by the drought are eligible to apply for Farm Service Agency (FSA) assistance, including emergency loans, to help mitigate the challenges posed by the ongoing drought.
Farmers interested in learning more about the Livestock Forage Disaster Program should contact the Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Verona at 70 Dick Huff Lane at 540-248-6218. Farmers will need to have up-to-date acreage reports along with some additional reporting requirements to qualify for the program.
Factors contributing to the current drought watch and warning advisories:
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Stream flows across Virginia are below the 25th percentile of normal values and less than the 5th percentile in the Shenandoah, Northern Piedmont and Northern Virginia regions.
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Groundwater levels are currently below the 10th percentile in Northern Virginia, Shenandoah, and Roanoke River, and below the 25th percentile in the Eastern Shore, Big Sandy, Middle James, Northern Piedmont and York-James regions.
DEQ is working with local governments, public water works and water users in the affected areas to ensure that conservation and drought response plans and ordinances are followed. All Virginians are encouraged to protect water supplies by minimizing water use, monitor drought conditions, and detect and repair leaks. See the current drought status on the DEQ website.
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This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Drought: Augusta County a Drought Disaster Area by USDA
