Buchan Says Drought Leaves 61% of North Carolina in Extreme Conditions

North Carolina's drought deepened as extreme drought covered 61% of the state, while Jordan Lake, Falls Lake and Kerr Lake all sat below their lower lake levels. Raleigh Water assistant director Ed Buchan said the three reservoirs were still near full pool even as conditions worsened.

Jordan Lake was at 215.65 feet, or 0.35 feet below the lower lake level. Falls Lake stood at 248.27 feet, 3.73 feet below the lower lake level, and Kerr Lake was at 299.86 feet, 0.14 feet below the lower lake level.

Ed Buchan on May lake levels

Buchan said, "While Jordan and Kerr are slightly below full pool, it's not unusual for them to be at these levels in May". He also said, "It's remarkable that both of them are still almost full despite the extreme drought conditions. It helps drive home the point that while the drought map shows the entire state, the drought impacts specific watersheds very differently."

That difference showed up in the numbers. The newest drought monitor showed extreme drought coverage rising 6% from the previous week, even though the lakes were still tracking differently across their watersheds.

Rainfall and reservoir recovery

The article said it can take roughly 2 to 7 inches of rain to raise lake levels by one foot, depending on the specific rainfall event and the lake's watershed. In the past 30 days, the area received only a quarter of the rain it should normally see.

The newest drought monitor did not include rain that fell on Thursday because the data update ended on Tuesday. More rain was expected into the first half of next week, with the hope that it would put at least a small dent in the worsening conditions.

For readers watching local water supply conditions, the immediate marker is the next stretch of rain and whether it is enough to move lake levels in different watersheds by even a fraction of a foot.