Potential Drought Concerns Discussed At Chatham Council Meeting

CHATHAM, NJ — This winter has been relatively dry, with most of New Jersey experiencing a historic snow drought with no end in sight in the near future.

Long periods of no snow accumulation are referred to as a "snow drought," and they can be harmful to water supplies and ecosystems. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, snow that accumulates on the ground and remains frozen during winter acts as a "snowpack," which typically acts as a natural reservoir to provide water during the summer months.

A snow drought reduces the amount of snowpack that can melt and be released.

Council Member Leonard Resto addressed potential drought concerns for Chatham this summer at the April 10 Chatham Borough Council meeting.

"Since we had a winter without snow, we don't have snowmelt that's replenishing wells and with the predicted dry summer, which may or may not come to pass, you could look at a drought situation," Resto said.

Last summer, the entire state experienced a drought, with a scorching, drier-than-usual season. The state was under a drought watch from Aug. 9 to Dec. 27, allowing New Jersey to avoid what could have been its first state-mandated water-use restrictions in 2003.

Related article: Drought Watch: NJ Asks Residents And Businesses To Conserve Water

Due to increased pressure on the water system, Chatham Borough implemented water conservation measures and requests that all residents and businesses observe voluntary water use restrictions during the summer months.

Overusing water has the potential to be a problem once again this year, according to Resto.

"Last Wednesday it was raining, and I went for a three-mile walk, and I saw over a dozen places with sprinklers going on, even though it was raining. People have to be encouraged to conserve water," Resto said.

According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, all of Morris County is currently experiencing abnormally dry conditions going into the rest of spring and early summer.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) creates maps that compare current stream flow conditions to historical conditions. Almost all streams in Morris County are in the 10-25 percentile of historical stream flow values recorded at this gauge on this day of the year, according to the map.

Chatham Borough currently gets its water from three wells connected to the Buried Valley Aquifer System, which supplies 26 municipalities.

The three wells are over 150 feet deep and draw groundwater from the Central Passaic River Basin's Buried Valley Aquifer system. They are located near the middle school at the Public Works Complex.

"The worst thing that could happen is that we would need another water well, which is not a cheap thing," Resto said.