Catawba River basin in first stage of drought
It’s beginning to look like the dry start of summer may continue, despite expected showers and thunderstorms Thursday and Friday.
A seasonal outlook by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says drought is likely to develop in central North Carolina through September.
The Catawba River basin including Charlotte is in the lowest stage of drought, a water-management board said Thursday.
The Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group said dry weather and warm temperatures prompted the classification. Rainfall in Charlotte is 3.4 inches below normal for the year.
Stage 0, the lowest of five stages the group sets, means only that water managers will monitor conditions more closely.
Two of three drought indicators have dropped: water stored in the 11 reservoirs on the Catawba and streamflows into the lakes.
Separately, North Carolina’s Drought Management Advisory Council says the part of the state traversed by the Catawba is in moderate drought. That is the second-lowest of five stages the council sets.
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This story was originally published July 2, 2015 at 12:29 PM with the headline "Catawba River basin in first stage of drought."