The Boston Globe reports that about a quarter of Massachusetts, covering most of the eastern part of the state including Newton, is experiencing extreme drought.
Drought Monitor says that Massachusetts has seen around half of normal rainfall amounts this summer, and 9-11 inches less than normal for the year to date. According to MA Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card most of the state is now in a Level 3 critical drought. The state has asked that people minimize non-essential outdoor watering and some communities have implemented water use restrictions. Newton had not done so as of earlier this week, but it would be good for people to voluntarily limit lawn watering and other non-essential uses. Reservoirs are already low, as is the Charles, and we are not expecting much rain in the near future.
While the state as a whole is in a severe drought, the MWRA reservoirs are at 93.6% (Quabbin) and 88.9% (Wachusett) capacity and are within normal usage parameters. Newton is one of the communities that receives all of it’s water from the MWRA which is likely why we haven’t seen much in terms of warnings.
Still a good best practice to be as efficient as possible with water usage, just wanted to add some context as to why Newton has not implemented any restrictions while other communities (not part of the MWRA) are at critical levels and are needing to ban non-essential use.
https://www.mwra.com/04water/html/wsupdate.htm for more detailed information
There was pretty heavy rain the evening before the date on this report. I wonder if it’s reflected in the map.
Meredith. Thanks for posting this.
@Newtoner. I was on a statewide Zoom conference call from my new home in Marlboro when that particular storm hit around 7:45. Heavy, heavy rain and extremely strong winds. 10 minutes later, a caller in Wayland reported that it was starting there and another 20 minutes after that the rain was falling in Cambridge. It only lasted about 15 or 20 minutes in each locality and it stopped almost as quickly as it started. Welcome relief, but these small bursts don’t do much to alleviate severe drought conditions like we are experiencing. We need extended periods of moderate and soaking rain. Alternating periods of heavy precipitation and drought conditions, coastal and urban flooding from melting glacial ice along with the potential for tipping points were just some of the concerns about climate change we addressed in air quality trends summaries I helped prepare at EPA during the mid 1980s. It’s just that things are happening more quickly and suddenly than we initially projected.
Back as an undergrad at BU in the late 1970s, my Geo 101 teacher, Mohamed Gheith, digressed from the subject of shale oil (and how “someday” it would be economically feasible to recover) and suggested that the real crisis that the world would face in the future is the equitable distribution of water — the haves and have nots. And this was before the impacts of climate change were well known. Well, Dr Gheith, we’ve arrived. Appreciate the context, Patrick, however, it strikes me as short sighted for Newton not to start getting the citizenry engaged in water conservation. While we enjoy an embarrassment of MWRA-related riches today, who’s to say we won’t see Lake Mead or Lake Powell type declines in 5, 10 years.
Water is a global resource that we all need. I find it hard NOT to conserve in this environment. Things can change at the reservoirs quickly. My lawn is quite brown. We don’t really water it. What has always bothered me, is watching underground sprinklers watering grass during rain storms. We should be encouraging people to water smarter (if at all) and really how to conserve water, now and not wait until we have a crisis.
Water conservation is a place where ecological and financial incentives align. Water is wicked expensive. Over watering a lawn is the fluid equivalent of burning money. It serves no purpose. People who want to maintain their lawns can save huge amounts of money with a smart irrigation controller. Seasonal overseeding can be done with more drought resistant grasses, or with a micro-clover mix that reduces the need for fertilizer. Many options to good and do it cheaper, if you get past the initial startup expense.
People might consider switching their yards from sod-style “fairway” grass to shrubs and flowers and such. You hardly need to water such gardens, and you employ no fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. Or go for native grasses and not Kentucky blue grass and sod that requires high maintenance.
People with meticulously manicured fairway lawns sometimes don’t even let their families play or walk on them. If you can’t kick a soccer ball or throw around a baseball, then what is the point? Save water and try an inexpensive alternative.
I am in a first floor condo with a private side yard. I put in sod when I first moved in, but the space is very shady so it was a losing battle. Year Two I mulched the entire space and it works out great. I just top it off to refresh it each spring.