The NYC Drought Is Officially Over

NEW YORK CITY — Well, folks, we made it.

Thanks to lots of precipitation in New York City and upstate, the city's reservoirs have officially returned to normal levels for this time of year, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation has declared the drought over for all impacted counties.

The drought watch was first declared on Nov. 2, and then elevated to a drought warning on Nov. 18, after an unusually dry fall, Patch previously reported. Then, the drought was downgraded back to a drought watch on Dec. 16.

“By working together and heeding officials’ advice, we were able to avoid a much more serious drought emergency. The work of New Yorkers in conserving water these past two months has paid off, and now we can end this historic drought," Mayor Eric Adams said.

Though it's not enough of a difference to merit a drought watch, reservoirs are still a little bit emptier than usual for this time of year. The reservoirs are at 77 percent capacity, as opposed to the 89.7 percent capacity typical of this time of year, according to the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

“DEC experts will continue to monitor conditions and work with New York City officials and localities across the state to identify any necessary steps and actions needed to help prevent additional shortages while New York State moves from a Drought Watch to Normal conditions,” Sean Mahar, the interim commissionerfor the Department of Environmental Conservation, said.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.