A new website from the Delaware Climate Office reported an improvement in the state's drought conditions as normal rainfall returned to the region. That's good news for the state's agribusiness industry.
The state had been under a drought watch since late October of last year
The Drought Resources and Awareness website provides updates on a regular basis as drought conditions persist, with reporting that includes precipitation measurements by county and municipality, and what those levels represent for Delaware as drought conditions persist. The site also includes groundwater conditions.
The latest report that pulls together state and federal sites shows the state is no longer seeing drought conditions, although New Castle County is listed as "abnormally dry.
“The website integrates data from diverse sources into easily-grasped facts about the drought conditions we’ve been facing in Delaware – particularly with concerns for our surface water supplies in northern New Castle County and our groundwater and soil moisture statewide as we move into planting season,” said DNREC Division of Water Director Steve Smailer. “There’s never been a greater need for bundling the facets of our water supply and the climatic conditions affecting it into an informational site for the public.”
State Climatologist Dr. Kevin Brinson, who worked with the Delaware Geological Survey and the University of Delaware’s Water Resources Center in developing the new site, said: “We hope this is a good first step towards providing drought information that’s not only important to water supply, but to other water-critical sectors, such as agriculture and natural ecosystems."
The latest provided good news for farmers and gardeners who will see adequate moisture during planting season, especially in Sussex County. Some areas of the southernmost county saw eight inches of rain, resulting in some wet spots.
In New Castle County, where much of the water supply is dependent on surface sources, stream conditons were improving with salt levels on the Christina River decreasing.
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