The Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force is keeping its existing advisories in place, including a drought emergency advisory for the Roanoke River watershed.
In an update released Friday, the task force and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality said recent rain had prevented drought conditions from worsening. But it has not been enough to overcome the conditions that built up over previous months. Streamflows, soil moisture, and reservoir levels are near normal levels in many locations, according to the task force. Groundwater levels remain well below normal, however, with some monitoring wells reaching or near historic record lows.
The most serious advisory is for the Roanoke River watershed where a drought emergency persists. That region includes the Roanoke Valley and areas to the south and east, including Bedford, Martinsville, and Danville. Much of the central and northern parts of the state, along with the Shenandoah Valley, are under a drought warning advisory.
A call from Governor Abigail Spanberger for all Virginians to conserve water remains in place.
The task force will meet again August 25th to review new data.
