An Exceptional Drought

[JerseyBoy 12]

As we all know, most of the Triad is under an exceptional drought classification right now. Many Triad cities (with the exception of Winston-Salem) have made mandatory water restrictions for their citizens to follow. High Point will soon be following suit by putting a ban on lawn sprinklers and double charges for customers who use over a certain amount of water. Yesterday (10-20-07) PTI received just over over an inch of rain, barely enough to make a dent in our big problem. Many lakes in the area, such as Oak Hollow, are down by more than six feet. But, are our local governments doing enough to protect our water supply? I personally think that water restrictions should be in place throughout the year, such as no watering lawns from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. I'd like to see city planning boards take action against limiting the number of acres a house can sit on in a subdivision and how many acres should be allowed to grow grass. It seems we only try to find a way to make a problem better when the problem arises, instead of preparing for it. Obviously our days of unlimited water are coming to an end because of the always present elephant in the room (global warming). So, what sort of actions have you taken to conserve water and how do you feel we can better prepare as a region and state to prevent events like this from becoming permanent?

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellit...s=1037645509099

[twincity 5]

i believe nature has a way of balancing things. i remember maybe 5 years ago when the triad was in the same situation, and we ended up having a very wet fall/winter. same like this year's warm january followed by one of the coldest february's in US history and a cold easter.

i can be a weather geek at times...but another reason for the drought is lack of hurricanes. it may sound crazy, but NC relies on tropical systems for keeping water levels normal. we havent had a major storm hit the coast for a while now so thats another reason for the drought.

so im predicting a lot of precip this late fall/winter...liquid or frozen. and also, something else to think about. 2007 was the warmest year right behind 1995. the winter of 1996, including december '95, produced two of the worst winter storms for the Triad in the past 20 years. anyone remember the huge 10 inch snow storm in january followed by that ice storm in february that crippled the triad?

[cityboi 1516]

Winston-Salem seems to be the only major NC city thats in good shape with the amount of water it has because it draws its water from a river. Even as the Yadkin River starts to dry up over time due to a continued drought, the Twin City still has a huge lake it can use for a back up plan.

As far as Greensboro and High Point, the water sources there are drying up. There is plenty of water in the Randleman Dam but the problem is they havent built a treatment plant yet and the dam wont be ready for another 3 years. Even still I think the state and the federal government need to be thinking about a long term solution in which water will never run out and thats drawing water from the Atlantic Ocean. Yes its very costly to run artery pipelines from the coast and to desalt the water. But if they can fund this uneccisary war in Iraq, the government can invest in our water supply. If things get far worse, the government may have no choice.

[suburban george3 1]

Winston-Salem seems to be the only major NC city thats in good shape with the amount of water it has because it draws its water from a river. Even as the Yadkin River starts to dry up over time due to a continued drought, the Twin City still has a huge lake it can use for a back up plan.

[ILoveCallingNCHome 0]

i believe nature has a way of balancing things. i remember maybe 5 years ago when the triad was in the same situation, and we ended up having a very wet fall/winter. same like this year's warm january followed by one of the coldest february's in US history and a cold easter.

i can be a weather geek at times...but another reason for the drought is lack of hurricanes. it may sound crazy, but NC relies on tropical systems for keeping water levels normal. we havent had a major storm hit the coast for a while now so thats another reason for the drought.

so im predicting a lot of precip this late fall/winter...liquid or frozen. and also, something else to think about. 2007 was the warmest year right behind 1995. the winter of 1996, including december '95, produced two of the worst winter storms for the Triad in the past 20 years. anyone remember the huge 10 inch snow storm in january followed by that ice storm in february that crippled the triad?

[suburban george3 1]

What amazes me, is that we're still in a drought and I have seen people in my own neighborhood taking on major landscaping projects and watering newly seeded grass (with a lot of it going into the storm drain!) How quickly we forget that we're still in a MAJOR drought regardless of recent rains.