New Website Tracks Drought Conditions in Delaware

A DNREC groundwater monitoring site in the town of Bowers in Kent County. /DNREC photo

With Delaware experiencing the drought conditions prevalent in much of the country and under a drought watch since late October of last year, the Delaware Climate Office has launched a website to help Delawareans stay informed about the state’s water supply. The site was developed by the University of Delaware’s Center for Environmental Monitoring and Analysis in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Delaware Geological Survey (DGS).

The Drought Resources and Awareness website provides updates on a regular basis as drought conditions persist, with reporting that includes precipitation measurements by county and municipality, and what those levels represent for Delaware as drought conditions persist. The site also includes links to DGS Water Conditions Report, the US Drought Monitor, and Delaware’s Water Supply Coordinating Council, which is charged with planning and managing Delaware water supplies to ensure they can meet peak demand during times of water shortage.

“The website integrates data from diverse sources into easily-grasped facts about the drought conditions we’ve been facing in Delaware – particularly with concerns for our surface water supplies in northern New Castle County and our groundwater and soil moisture statewide as we move into planting season,” said DNREC Division of Water Director Steve Smailer. “There’s never been a greater need for bundling the facets of our water supply and the climatic conditions affecting it into an informational site for the public.”

State Climatologist Dr. Kevin Brinson, who worked with DGS and the University of Delaware’s Water Resources Center in developing the new site, said: “We hope this is a good first step towards providing drought information that’s not only important to water supply, but to other water-critical sectors, such as agriculture and natural ecosystems.

“DNREC has provided tremendous leadership in coordinating our state’s drought monitoring efforts across government, academia, and industry,” Brinson said. “Together, I’m confident that we can continue to enhance the information available through this site with more monitoring data and water demand information.”

DGS Professional Geologist and Hydrologist Stefanie Baxter, who helped develop the site, agreed: “The new drought website integrates data and observations from key Delaware agencies for monitoring and managing water resources,” she said. “Droughts will come and go in the future, so this site is a major milestone for providing current water conditions information.”

The current drought awareness report posted on the site offers encouraging news about recent rainfall and improving groundwater conditions. The report shares that:

• March precipitation is above normal in just about every location in Delaware, especially Sussex County.
• Stream conditions in northern Delaware are improving, and chloride levels on the Christina River are decreasing.
• Groundwater conditions are below normal at most wells in the state, but they have continued to improve due to the wet March conditions.
• Long-term (Spring 2025) drought outlook shows drought conditions improving statewide.

The site also includes a “Drought Discussion” section, where water experts from the sponsoring agencies summarize current conditions using charts, graphs and share expert commentary from select locations throughout the state.

Another feature is links to drought-related webpages for the surrounding states of Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, all of which are facing similar circumstances with water supply and scarce rainfall as has Delaware over the last year.

To explore current drought conditions and water supply updates, visit https://climate.udel.edu/drought/.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Water manages and protects Delaware’s water resources. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov 

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