Drought Deepens On Lower Cape

As if to affirm the region’s parched lawns and withering gardens, state officials last week upgraded Barnstable County to “significant drought” status from the “mild drought” designation that was in place previously.

 While July saw torrential rain across some interior portions of Southern New England, most of Cape Cod, and particularly the Lower Cape, received very little significant rainfall. Groundwater levels continue to drop in official monitoring wells in Brewster and Chatham, and dry vegetation is increasing the risk of wildfire, which is generally low at this time of year.

 “July was notably warm in Massachusetts, with average temperatures 2 to 5 degrees above normal” with below-average rainfall in the southeastern part of the state, a state drought analysis reads. “More precipitation is needed to improve water systems, especially groundwater, in areas that are lagging.”

 Groundwater levels fluctuate seasonally, with highest levels coming after winter snowfall and spring rains. As measured in the U.S. Geological Survey wells in Nickerson State Park and in South Chatham, the water table reached its seasonal high around late May at levels far below historic springtime peaks. Groundwater levels have been falling since that time and are already nearly as low as they typically are in late September, October or November.

 Speaking to the select board last month, Chatham DPW Director Rob Faley showed a graph illustrating five years of groundwater levels at the Brewster well.

 “In all five years, we are in worse shape, water recharge-wise,” he said. Following rains that reached the Upper Cape this spring, state officials downgraded the Cape from a Level 2 significant drought to a Level 1 mild drought, but have now reversed that designation.

 All towns on the Lower Cape have already implemented mandatory water use restrictions. In Chatham, outdoor watering is allowed two days a week, with Tuesdays and Thursdays reserved for houses with odd street numbers and Wednesdays and Fridays for even numbers, and all watering to be done after 5 p.m. and before 9 a.m. Outdoor watering of vehicles, buildings and driveways is prohibited.

 A similar system is in place in Brewster, with outdoor watering limited to two days a week on odd numbered calendar days for odd street numbers and even days for even street numbers. Watering is allowed only between 4 and 8 a.m. and between 5 and 9 p.m.

 Harwich property owners are allowed to water by sprinkler two days a week on Tuesdays or Saturdays for odd addresses, and Wednesdays or Sundays for even addresses, and only before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Hand watering is allowed daily during those hours.

In Orleans, watering is limited to two days per week, and only outside the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sprinklers or automatic systems cannot be used to irrigate lawns, gardens or shrubs, and there are restrictions on washing vehicles, buildings, driveways and sidewalks.

 State officials also urge property owners to fix indoor leaks from toilets, faucets and showers, “which result in more than 60 percent of indoor use,” according to state guidelines.

 The U.S. Drought Monitor, operated by the University of Nebraska, puts all of Cape Cod and Nantucket in its “moderate drought” category, with the Upper Cape, Martha’s Vineyard and the South Coast listed as “abnormally dry.” The state’s drought task force uses a different metric.

 Aside from a 40 percent chance of showers today (Thursday), the National Weather Service on Tuesday predicted no precipitation for our area through at least Aug. 18.