The sunny and warm summer and lack of significant rain has led the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to issue a drought watch for 21 counties in the state.
The watch comes after Governor Hochul met with the State Drought Management Task Force and Federal partner agencies.
The state is asking those who live in the affected counties (listed below) to conserve water whenever possible in the coming weeks.
“Recent rains across the state were not enough to address the dry conditions that have persisted this year,” Governor Hochul said. “Local water restrictions and educating residents about how to help conserve our water resources will be crucial steps to help prevent a more severe shortage should conditions worsen.”
Counties in our area with a Drought Watch:
- Cayuga
- Chemung
- Onondaga
- Tompkins
- Seneca
- Schuyler
You can see the entire list of drought conditions on the DEC’s website.
