Despite rains,
it’s still a drought

Dry conditions produce fires

By Aidan Dusenbury-Dalto | Manor Ink

Sullivan County, NY – Have you wondered why your grass isn’t growing as fast as years prior? Or why there isn’t as much greenery around? That’s because most of New York State has been experiencing drought conditions, with some areas classified as undergoing severe drought.

Despite recent rains, many local areas remain far below typical rainfall totals for the summer months. Droughts are caused by low precipitation over an extended period of time. Atmospheric conditions such as climate change, ocean temperatures, changes in the jet stream and changes in the local landscape are all factors that contribute to drought.

Due to dry and hot conditions, the risk of brushfires has been extremely high, with thousands of local fires this year alone. Those incidents include a devastating fire at Minnewaska State Park Preserve in Ulster County, which closed the entire state park for almost three weeks. After eight days of effort that involved over 200 firefighters, pilots and volunteers, most of the fire near Napanoch Point was brought under control.

Increased brush fires have been only one serious effect of the dry conditions. Water activities, important to the Sullivan County summer tourist industry and also to summer-loving locals, were restricted this summer due to low water conditions across the area. Kayakers, canoers, and anglers were all affected by the conditions to some degree, and many had to search out different areas to pursue their favorite water recreation. Trout anglers were especially finding that high water temperatures along with low stream levels made trout fishing next to impossible on the Beaverkill and Willowemoc creeks. Trout are a coldwater species and thrive in water temperatures below 68F, so the conditions this year were far less than ideal.

Even though the local area has seen some recent rainfall, drought warnings remain. The state Department of Environmental Conservation is closely monitoring the situation and has issued the following statement.

“While most of us know that a drought is a prolonged period of dryness, the definition and information used to formally declare a drought is more complex. In New York, drought status determinations are based on a State Drought Index that uses New York State specific attributes, so it may differ somewhat from national drought assessments. In addition, local conditions may vary, so some areas of the state may make their own determinations of drought stage using locally-focused criteria. The DEC supports efforts by local governments and stakeholders to undertake water conservation measures based on specific circumstances.”