Back to: Drought Management Main Page
RI Emergency Management
Agency US
Geological Survey
Providence Chamber of
Commerce Brown
University
University of Rhode Island Providence
Water Supply Board
Audubon Society Department of Health
Governor’s Office Economic
Development Corporation
Public Utilities Commission
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
|
1 |
|
1.1 Background
and History |
1 |
1.2 Purpose
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
2.
Drought Management Steering Committee |
2 |
2.1
Coordination of the Steering Committee
|
2 |
2.2 Steering Committee Membership
|
2 |
2.3 Steering Committee Responsibilities
|
2 |
2.4 Steering Recommendations
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
3. Data Collection |
3 |
3.1 Data
Collection by Steering Committee Members
|
3 |
|
3.2 Data Reporting |
3 |
|
4.
Communications |
4 |
4.1
Communicating to the General Public
|
4 |
4.2 Communicating to Target
Audiences
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
5.
Drought Action Levels |
5 |
5.1 Regionally-based Responses
|
5 |
5.2 Action Levels
|
6 |
|
|
|
6.
Drought Response
|
6 |
6.1
Local Governments
|
6 |
6.2 Governor
|
7 |
6.3 Agriculture
|
7 |
6.4 Forestry
|
7 |
6.5 Water Resources Board
|
7 |
|
6.6 Department of Health |
7 |
6.7 US
Geological Survey
|
8 |
6.8
Statewide Planning
|
8 |
6.9 State
Drought Response Actions
|
8 |
7. Drought Severity Indices
|
11 |
|
7.1
Drought Levels |
11 |
|
7.11
Drought Indices |
12 |
|
7.2 Determination of the End of a Drought |
13 |
|
8. Emergency Declarations-Legal Authorities
and Powers |
14 |
8.1 Local
|
14 |
8.2
State
|
14 |
|
8.2.1
Water Resources Board |
14 |
|
8.2.3
Department of Health |
14 |
8.2.4 Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency
|
14 |
8.2.5 Governor
Declared State of Emergency
|
15 |
|
|
|
Appendix A –
List of Contacts
|
16 |
Appendix B – Map
of Counties, Watersheds, and Regions
|
17 |
Appendix C – Map
of Areas Served By Water Suppliers
|
18 |
Appendix D –
Model Bylaw regarding drought
|
19 |
Appendix E –
State Guide Plan Policies
|
21 |
Appendix F – Drought
Response Plan For Agriculture
|
23 |
Appendix G –
Non-essential Water Uses
|
25 |
10/28/99
betterThe
Drought Task Force under the direction of the RI Water Resources Board have
developed this plan to guide state activities in response to droughts and
extended periods of dry weather. The
operating procedure outlines the responsibilities of various state and federal
agencies, the lines of communications to be used, the general sequence of
actions to be followed based on the severity of the situation, and outlines the
emergency powers available to local and state government agencies.
The
State of Rhode Island is often considered a “water-rich” state. Under normal conditions, regions across the
state annually receive between 40-50 inches of precipitation. However, Rhode Island can experience
extended periods of dry weather, from single season events to multi-year events
such as experienced in the mid 1960s. Historically, most droughts in Rhode
Island have started with dry winters, rather than a dry summer.
This
Plan is being developed as part of the response to the period of precipitation
deficiency beginning in the spring and summer of 1999. In some areas of the state, cumulative
deficits in precipitation reached 8-12 inches below normal over an 12-month
period. Streamflows across much of the
state routinely fell below the 25th percentile of their historical
flows last summer (within the lowest 25 percent on record for the month) and a
couple with long periods of record, set record low streamflow levels. Ground water levels were also below normal
throughout the summer over most of the state.
The
purpose of this standard operating procedure is to help federal and state
agencies:
1.
Coordinate
their activities in response to drought situations;
2.
Identify
responsibilities for information collection needed to assess the impacts from
dry conditions;
3.
Establish
a consistent basis for evaluating the severity of drought situations;
4.
Identify
the lines of communications to allow the smooth flow of information to
decision-makers;
5.
Summarize
the emergency powers available to government agencies to respond to drought
situations.
6.
Provide
for the protection of public health and welfare
7.
Conserve
water supplies in the event of an extended drought
8.
Minimize
economic impacts to the extent practicable
2. Drought Management
Steering Committee
The
primary vehicle through which drought response is managed is through the
Drought Steering Committee. The purpose
of the Steering Committee is to monitor, coordinate, and manage response to
drought situations and to make recommendations to the appropriate entities to
ensure impacts to public health, safety and the environment are minimized.
Coordinating
the Steering Committee is the responsibility of the RI Water Resources
Board. Other responsibilites include:
·
Calling
the Committee together as necessary;
·
Collecting
and disseminating data on the status of the drought;
·
Establishing
agendas for Steering Committee meetings;
·
Facilitating
the Steering Committee meetings;
·
Preparing
Steering Committee meeting summaries;
·
Coordinating
communications between government agencies and the general public;
·
Forwarding
recommendations to the appropriate entities.
2.2
Steering Committee
Membership
RI
Water Resources Board, USGS, Department of Health, Economic Development
Corporation, Water supplier representatives (President RI Water Works
Association, Providence Water Supply Board), Governor’s Office, Department of
Environmental Management, Department of Administration – Statewide Planning
Program, RI Emergency Management Agency.
The contact list for the steering committee is contained in Appendix A. It is the responsibility of the Water Resources Board to maintain an up-to-date list of steering committee members.
In
the event of a severe drought, the Steering Committee makes recommendations to
the Governor for declaring regional or statewide emergencies and for developing
and coordinating implementation of emergency responses.
Implementation
of the Steering Committee recommendations is the responsibility of the
appropriate agency based on its jurisdiction or expertise. The Water Resources Board will follow-up
with the responsible agencies to help ensure the successful implementation of
Steering Committee recommendations. The
Water Resources Board and Steering Committee will cooperate in developing and
forwarding recommendations through the appropriate chain(s) of command.
3. Data Collection
Monitoring
trends and collecting pertinent information is vital to making timely and
accurate decisions. Therefore, this
plan spells out the responsibilities of various agencies to provide information
that can be used to assess the severity of drought conditions and to assess
impacts to the public health, economic viability and natural environment of the
State of Rhode Island.
When
persistent dry conditions occur, agencies will be asked by the Steering
Committee to begin collecting specific pieces of information and providing
summaries of this information. The
USGS, in coordination with the Water Resources Board, will monitor groundwater,
surface water, and precipitation indicators.
When drought conditions appear imminent, the Water Resources Board will
convene the Steering Committee to meet at least monthly throughout the drought
to review data.
3.2 Data Reporting
Data provided by the respective agencies will be compiled into the “Current Conditions Report”, a report
summarizing current water resource conditions that will be prepared on a
monthly basis by the WRB. This report
will include ground water data, surface water data, reservoir data,
precipitation data, and streamflow conditions as well as reports on fire danger
and agricultural conditions.
A
description of the data collection responsibilities for each agency is provided
in
Table 1.
Table
1 - Information collection responsibilities
|
Information |
Agency |
|
Summary
of state ground water levels, surface water levels, streamflow conditions. |
Department
of Environmental Management United
States Geological Survey |
|
Summary
of extended forecast (3-month intervals). Summary
of historical comparisons. |
National
Weather Service |
|
Summary
of precipitation data |
University
of Rhode Island National
Weather Service |
|
List
of communities with mandatory water bans and declared water emergencies. |
RI
Water Resources Board |
|
Other
water quality concerns. |
Department
of Environmental Management |
|
Scituate
reservoir level |
Providence
Water Supply Board |
|
Status
of other major reservoirs throughout state |
RI
Water Resources Board |
|
Update
of forest fire conditions. Fire
Danger |
Department
of Environmental Management State
Fire Marshall’s Office |
|
Update
of crop, soil, and agriculture conditions and impacts. |
Department
of Environmental Management USDA
Farm Services |
|
Summary
of public utility issues. |
Public
Utilities Commission |
|
Summary
of public health issues and drinking water quality concerns |
Department
of Health |
|
Drought
Indices |
Water
Resources Board |
|
Impacts
to ecosystems, flora, and fauna |
Department
of Environmental Management |
4. Communications
It is extremely important that accurate and timely information about the current status of dry conditions and the resultant impacts are communicated to the public. It will be the responsibility of the Water Resources Board to coordinate the activities of state agencies (through the Governor’s Office) in their communications with the general public in regard to drought. The Water Resources Board will be the primary point of contact for public information during a drought. The Department of Environmental Management, Division of Agriculture will be the point of contact for farmers and agricultural interests during drought. These respective points of contact will jointly form recommendations with the Steering Committee when announcements from the Governor are warranted to bring attention to the situation or to communicate about specific response actions.
If other agencies or groups determine that communication to the general public about dry conditions or drought response is necessary, they will coordinate with Water Resources Board on how best to accomplish this, whether the agency will communicate directly with the media or public or whether the Water Resources Board or the Governor’s Office will make the required announcements. Drafts of press releases and other communications to the general public should be reviewed by the Steering Committee before they are released to ensure a consistent message is being communicated.
In
general state agencies will be responsible for communicating with their
constituents. A summary of contacts is
provided in Table 2:
|
General
Public |
Water
Resources Board |
|
Water
Suppliers |
Water
Resources Board |
|
Foresters |
Department
of Environmental Management |
|
Farmers/Agricultural
Interests |
Department
of Environmental Management NRCS |
|
Other
Large Water Users-i.e. Industrial, golf courses, etc. |
Water
Resources Board Department
of Environmental Management |
|
Local
Fire Departments |
Water
Resources Board/State Fire Marshall |
*
As this drought management plan is to facilitate coordination between state
agencies, Table 2 identifies the communications responsibilities for state
agencies. It is understood that local
governments and water suppliers play a key role in communications with the
public.
5. Drought Action Levels
Unlike many other emergency situations, the severity of droughts develops over time and therefore present the opportunity to develop and implement appropriate measures as the situation worsens. Therefore, the Drought Management Plan defines action levels that define general levels of response given the severity of the situation.
Though
Rhode Island encompasses a relatively small geographic area, the state has a
number of distinct regions that can experience significantly different weather
patterns and react differently to the amount of precipitation they
receive. Therefore, assessments of
drought conditions by the Steering Committee will be undertaken on a regional
basis in the first two stages of drought,
rather than using a single statewide assessment.
The
state will be generally divided into three regions: Northern, Southern, Eastern.
Because drought conditions may vary due to precipitation patterns, these
regions may be adjusted based on the conditions in any particular drought
situation. In addition, areas served by
water supplies outside their region will have their drought conditions assessed
by the capacity of their system, rather than by the regional indices. The purpose for a regional approach is to
allow regions to customize drought actions and conservation measures as needed
to address the particular situation in each region. These regions also vary in population, density, water demand,
topography, and runoff characteristics.
Because of these different characteristics, different responses may be
needed. In the latter two stages of drought (stages III, IV), assessments of
drought conditions and recommended actions will be conducted on a statewide
basis.
This
Plan outlines five general action levels related to drought conditions:
·
Normal
·
Advisory
·
Watch
·
Warning
·
Emergency
The
levels provide a basic framework from which to take actions to assess,
communicate, and respond to drought conditions. They begin with normal situation where data is routinely
collected and distributed, move to heightened vigilance with increased data
collection during an advisory, to increased assessment and proactive education
during a watch. Water restrictions
might be appropriate at the watch or warning stage, depending on the capacity
of each individual water supply system.
A warning level indicates a severe situation and the possibility that a
drought emergency may be necessary. A
drought emergency is one in which mandatory water restrictions or use of
emergency supplies are necessary.
The
action levels specified in this document are a general plan of action to
coordinate statewide response to drought situations. However, numerous individual agencies have particular
responsibilities that they are responsible for implementing on an ongoing
basis. In addition, individual
communities have a range of actions they can take to manage their systems
during droughts. These actions are
taken based on local assessment of local conditions and may not progress
through same levels outlined above. The
various responsibilities of those with responsibilities for addressing drought
issues are briefly discussed below.
Local
governments or waters suppliers, are responsible for the management of their
system to ensure that they can provide water sufficient to meet public health
and safety needs. Their actions can
include both requesting voluntary compliance with water use restrictions to
declarations of local water emergencies based on the status of their local
water supplies. These local decisions are taken independently of the state responses
outlined below. These local decisions provide valuable information about
water shortages to state agencies, who are able to assess the broader situation
being faced within a particular region.
In addition, it is anticipated that state drought status levels and
communication to water suppliers about such levels will prompt local action by
communities.
Each
water supplier will be affected differently by drought and is responsible for
implementing appropriate conservation responses as necessary to preserve
supply. All of the major water
suppliers are required to develop Water Supply System Management Plans, which
are reviewed by the Water Resources Board, Department of Health, Department of
Environmental Management, and Statewide Planning Program. These serve as master plans for the water
system, addressing adequacy of water supply, water distribution system,
conservation measures, watershed protection, captial improvements, and
emergency preparedness, including drought.
The Governor has the authority to declare a water emergency per RIGL §46-15-14. This authority is detailed in section 8.2.5 of this plan. A water emergency shall include situations in which water supplies are insufficient to meet the needs of the inhabitants of the state either through a water shortage or contamination of supplies. In a water emergency, the governor may take actions and issue orders as may be necessary to implement the Drought Plan, including the imposition of conservation measures and the allocation of water supplies. The Governor’s Office has not issued such declarations in recent droughts.
The Department of Environmental Management Division of Agriculture is responsible for coordinating with the Governor, to declare a disaster or take other steps necessary based on either actual or predicted impacts to agricultural products. This declaration is often made in anticipation of crop failures so that the State will be eligible to receive federal disaster assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Division of Agriculture will also seek state financial assistance as necessary. (See Appendix B for complete Drought Response Plan for Agriculture)
Risk of fires in wild land, rural areas, state forests and parks are linked to dry conditions. However, unlike drought situations that may occur only infrequently, assessment of fire risk and management of fire control resources is an on-going activity of the Office of Forest Environment under the Department of Environmental Management. It is the responsibility of DEM Office of Forest Environment to manage state fire suppression resources and to coordinate with other local, state, federal agencies and other states to coordinate the appropriate resources to bear given the situation.
6.5
Water Resources Board
The Water Resources Board is an interagency board that manages the withdrawal and use of waters of Rhode Island (RIGL §46-15-7). The WRB is a water supply development and regulatory agency which promotes the planning, development, and conservation of water supplies to ensure that sufficient water resources are available for present and future generations of Rhode Islanders. New water supplies for major suppliers must be reviewed by the Board.
6.6 Department of Health
The Department of Health (DOH) has primary responsibility
for health, safety, and welfare of the state’s population per RIGL § 46-13.
The DOH regulates the construction and operation of all public water
systems and sources and assures the safety of drinking water supplies through
monitoring requirements. When fire
districts and water suppliers make water available to residents for jug fill
up, this process must adhere to DOH requirements. These requirements include supervision, maintaining separation
distance between jugs and faucet, and jugs must be clean. If the use of tanker trucks is required, the
DOH requires a chlorine residual of 0.5 ml/lin the water for disinfection
purposes.
6.7 US Geological Survey
The US Geological Survey monitors groundwater and surface water levels at several locations throughout the state, makes the information available, and analyzes current conditions compared to historical averages and records.
6.8
Statewide Planning Program, Department of Administration; State Planning
Council
The State Planning Council is an interdisciplinary appointed body, whose duties include adopting state policy as State Guide Plan elements. The State Guide Plan has specific elements relating to water supply, water management, and water emergencies. This Drought Plan will be adopted as an amendment to the State Guide Plan element 723, Water Emergency Response Plan. The Statewide Planning Program serves as staff to the State Planning Council and reviews Water Supply System Management Plans and municipal Comprehensive Plans for consistency with the State Guide Plan.
6.9
Department of Environmental Management – Office of Fish and Wildlife
Dry conditions can lead to a range of impacts to fisheries
and wildlife, from reducing food sources to fish kills or displacement of
certain populations of animals.
Department responses include responding to incidents of wildlife
entering residential or urban areas.
They also include identifying developing impacts to specific fisheries
and wildlife populations so that other agencies, such as local governments, DEM
or others, can implement measure to reduce the impacts to these resources. For example, if low streamflows threaten
fish populations, DEM Fish and Wildlife can work with local municipalities to
ensure that water restrictions are in place to minimize the impact from water
use in these areas.
Table
3 outlines the general level of activity given the severity of the
situation. It is anticipated that
drought responses will be initially based on the regional assessment of drought
levels. The table begins with general
information collection and sharing of that information under normal or drought
advisory conditions to preparation and declaration of an emergency situation by
the Governor. The definition of each
action level is provided in the next section of the plan. All
response actions in early levels of drought are presumed to be continued in
later stages of drought as needed.
Table 3 – State Drought Action Plan
Drought Level |
Response Actions |
|
Normal
Conditions |
(1)
WRB collects basic weather and hydrological data (2)
WRB encourages communities to adopt local bylaws that provide for
drought related contingency plans. |
|
Drought
Advisory |
(1) WRB communicates with municipalities and water suppliers about dry conditions. (2) WRB contacts members of Steering Committee and convenes a meeting. (3) WRB and Steering Committee develop general press announcements as necessary ex. list of water restrictions in the paper (4) Steering Committee begins to coordinate on a regular basis to exchange information and circulate educational materials. (5) Expanded data collection and monitoring. Forward “Current Conditions” report to drought Steering Committee. (6) The WRB will recommend statewide voluntary conservation measures such as odd-even watering and/or eliminating non-essential uses and begin public awareness campaign on water conservation. (7) DEM and the WRB will measure streamflow weekly at gaging stations and mail letters with this data to farmers, golf courses, and other water users and stakeholders in the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed. (8) DEM-Agriculture will mail out a listing of water conservation techniques to farmers, requesting farmers to conserve, and will initiate appropriate steps of the Drought Response Plan for Agriculure. |
|
Drought
Watch |
(1)
Assessment and recommendations coordinated through Steering
Committee. (2)
WRB distributes monthly
summary of dry conditions (Current Conditions Report) to Steering Committee. (3)
Intensified monitoring and appraisal of drought situation through
information gathering of state agencies. (4)
WRB offers technical assistance to communities on managing systems
during dry conditions. (5)
Steering Committee increase
public information distribution regarding current conditions and general
conservation measures (6)
Steering Committee coordinators prepare memorandum on status of
situation for the Governor. (7)
Initiate contact and planning efforts with federal agencies. (8)
The WRB will strongly encourage all Rhode Islanders to limit outdoor
water use to the hours before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. and eliminate
non-essential water uses. (9)
DEM-Agriculture will continue step (8) from the Drought Advisory. (10) As rivers that receive industrial and municipal wastewater discharges approach their low flow (7Q10), DEM will request voluntary reductions in water usage and the quantity of pollutants from significant industries that discharge directly to surface waters and municipal WWTFs. (11) 15% voluntary reduction of water use for agriculture, commercial, industrial, institutional, electric power generation. Pollutant dischargers must reduce waste output by 15%. (12) 30% voluntary reduction of water use for residential customers (13) WRB will work with DEM-Agriculture to provide a list of water suppliers and water transporters willing to supply farmers. (14) WRB will distribute a list of well drillers as needed. (15) WRB will provide a list of
fire stations, water suppliers, town offices allowing free jug fill up (16) DOH will provide a list of
private laboratories for water testing (17) DOH will expedite
permitting and give priority reviews to replace public wells that have gone
dry, where practical (18) Fire districts not on
public water will make themselves aware of which water bodies are low (19) Fire districts will
identify alternative sources of water or call on a regional tanker force,
when water bodies are low (20) Fire departments will be
encouraged to distribute educational materials stating that dry conditions
may cause problems for sprinkler systems (21) Dry hydrant permits may
need to be expedited for improved fire response times. |
|
Drought
Warning |
(1)
Develop measures to reduce water use and protect public and vital
health, economic and environmental interests. Fully implement and promote
public information and technical assistance. (2)
WRB and Steering Committee develop and implement press strategy to
keep media and public informed about the situation (3)
Steering Committee begin to make provisions for utilization of
emergency sources of water. (4)
DOH works assess public health threats and take actions as needed. (5)
Initiate contact and planning with New England states regarding
situation and to alleviate drought impacts. (6)
Prepare Governor Proclamation of a drought emergency in regards to a
potential drought emergency. (7)
Recommend to Governor on communications strategy. (8)
Develop recommendations for special legislation and/or funding. (9)
Begin process to utilize appropriate federal assistance options. (10) 15% mandatory water use reduction for agriculture, commercial, industrial, institutional, electric power generation. 15% waste reduction for pollutant dischargers. Some curtailment of industrial uses. (11) 30% mandatory
reduction of water use for residential customers – restrict residential water
use to 75 gpd, maximum of 300 gpd/household. (12)
Mandatory ban on non-essential water use (Appendix I) (13) Non residential users – emergency rates, other rate changes. Pricing to encourage conservation. |
|
Drought
Emergency |
(1)
Finalize Governor Proclamation of a drought emergency to utilize
state emergency authorities and powers to restrict water uses and implement
measures to provide emergency water supplies. (2)
Steering Committee continues to coordinate response of state, local
and federal agencies. (3)
Secure emergency funding and/or legislation. (4)
Secure federal assistance. (5)
Allocated water per capita/household – restrict residential water use
to 55 gpd, maximum of 220 gpd/household (6)
Industrial use curtailed with some closings, interruption of water
service |
As dry
conditions can have a range of different impacts, a number of drought indices
are available to assess these various impacts.
The State will use a multi-index system that takes advantage of several
of these indices to determine the severity of a given drought or extended
period of dry conditions.
7.1 Drought Levels
In order for the Drought Management Steering Committee to assess the severity of a drought, 5 levels of drought have been identified. The levels are Normal, Advisory, Watch, Warning, and Emergency. A determination of which level has been reached is based on 7 indices: Palmer Drought Severity Index, Crop Moisture Index, Fire Danger, Precipitation, Ground-water levels, Streamflow levels, and Index Reservoir levels. A detailed description of each index is provided below.
Drought level will be determined based on the number of indices which have reached a given drought level. Drought levels would be declared on a regional basis for each regions in Rhode Island. A map and list of the regions, and the counties is included in Appendix B.
Once a drought level of warning and emergency have been reached for the precipitation index, conditions must improve beyond the previous level before a determination is made to reduce the warning or emergency.
7.1.1 Drought Indices:
Palmer Drought Index – an index which reflects soil moisture and weather conditions; available from the National Weather Service or National Climate Data Center.
Crop Moisture Index – an index which reflects short term soil moisture conditions as used for agriculture; available from the National Climate Data Center.
Fire – the fire danger level reflects how favorable conditions are for brush fires. Data factored into the index include weather conditions and available fuel. This is a short-term index, which can change daily. The duration of the index will be used to determine relative drought levels. The fire danger level is available from the DEM Division of Forests and Parks, Fire Chief.
Precipitation – a comparison of measured precipitation amounts to 30 year averages. Cumulative amounts for 3, 6 and 12 month periods are factored into the drought determination. This data is available from the DEM, Office of Water Resources.
Ground-water levels – a drought level determination is based on the number of consecutive months ground-water levels are below normal (lowest 25% or period of record). Ground-water conditions maps showing areas of above normal, normal and below normal are provided monthly by the USGS.
Streamflows – a drought level determination is based on the number of consecutive months streamflow levels are below normal (lowest 25% or period of record). Streamflow conditions maps showing areas of above normal, normal and below normal are provided monthly by the USGS.
Reservoirs – a
drought level determination will be based on the level small, medium and large
index reservoirs across the state. The
reservoir level relative to normal conditions will be considered. DEM, Office of Water Resources, as part of
its monthly conditions report, will maintain a list of index water supply
reservoirs and their percent full
Drought Indices
|
Drought Level |
PDI |
CMI* |
Fire* |
Precipitation |
Ground Water |
Streamflow |
Reservoir |
|
Normal |
-1.0 to –1.99 |
0.0 to -1.0 slightly dry |
Low |
1 month below normal |
2 consecutive months below normal |
1 month below normal |
Reservoir levels at or near normal for the time of year |
|
Advisory |
-2.0 to –2.99 |
-1.0 to –1.9 abnormally dry |
Moderate |
2 month cumulative below 65% of normal |
3 consecutive months below normal |
At least 2 out of 3 consecutive months below normal |
Small index Reservoirs below normal |
|
Watch |
-3.0 to 3.99 |
-2.0 to –2.9 excessively dry |
High |
1 of the following criteria met: 3 month cum. < 65% or 6 month cum. < 70% or 12 month cum. < 70% |
4-5 consecutive months below normal |
At least 4 out of 5 consecutive months below normal |
Medium index Reservoirs below normal |
|
Warning |
-4.0 and below |
> -2.9 severely dry |
V. High |
2 out of 3 of the above criteria met: 3 month cum. < 65% and 6 month cum. <65% or 6 month cum. <65% and 12 month cum. <65% or 3 month cum. <65% and 12 month cum. <65% |
6-7 consecutive months below normal |
At least 6 out of 7 consecutive months below normal |
Large index reservoirs below normal |
|
Emergency |
-4.0 and below |
> -2.9 severely dry |
Extreme |
Same criteria as Warning And Previous month was Warning or Emergency |
>8 months below normal |
>7 months below normal |
Continuation of previous month’s conditions |
*The
Crop Moisture Index and the Fire Danger levels are subject to frequent change.
7.2 Determination of the End of a Drought
In order to determine the end of a drought two key factors will be examined. These are precipitation and ground-water levels. These two factors have the greatest long-term impact on streamflow, water supply, reservoir levels, soil moisture and potential for forest fires. Precipitation is a key factor because it is the overall cause of improving conditions. Because the water table responds slowly to improving conditions it is a good indicator of the return of normal conditions.
A given drought action level can change in one of three ways after the first month it has been reached. If conditions reach the criteria for the next most severe drought level, the drought severity level will be increased accordingly. If conditions persist but do not reach the next level, the drought action level will be held constant. The conditions can only be revised to a less severe condition when normal conditions have been reached Normal conditions will be determined when ground-water levels have reached normal or above normal and there is no rainfall deficit for the period beginning October 1st. Large storms such as hurricanes will not be figured into the calculation of the rainfall deficit.
A majority of the indices are not being considered because some of the indices will tend to return to normal at some point during the year. For example, the Crop Moisture Index returns to normal at the end of the growing season. The Fire Danger season ends with snowfall. In addition the end of a drought is easily defined by rainfall and ground-water levels, which has the most significant impact on the other indices.
|
Current Drought Level |
Next Month’s Drought Level |
Normal Conditions |
|
Emergency |
Emergency - continued below normal conditions |
Ground-water levels at or above normal and no rainfall deficit for the water year |
|
Warning |
Emergency - worsening conditions or continued below normal conditions |
Ground-water levels at or above normal and no rainfall deficit for the water year |
|
Watch |
Warning - worsening conditions Watch - continued below normal |
Ground-water levels at or above normal and no rainfall deficit for the water year |
|
Advisory |
Watch – worsening conditions |
Ground-water levels at or above normal and no rainfall deficit for the water year* |
*Water year begins October 1st.
Once a drought level of warning and emergency have been reached for the precipitation index, conditions must improve beyond the previous level before a determination is made to reduce the warning or emergency.
8. Emergency Declarations-Legal Authorities and Powers
The
following section discusses the local, state, and federal authorities and
powers related to drought situations.
This section provides a general summary of the laws applicable to
drought issues. However, the
appropriate legal staff should be consulted in advance of the use of any of
these powers by a state agency.
Municipal governments are critically important to managing drought situations and assessing the impact of drought situations. Municipal governments that own, operate or oversee a public water supply are responsible for putting in place either voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions. State level response to droughts is premised on the fact that local authorities are taking all necessary action to manage drought situations and to protect public health and the environment.
Municipalities are authorized to adopt and implement bylaws or ordinances in appropriate circumstances. Municipalities, which have established water supply or distributing systems, may regulate through such bylaws the use of water from the municipal system. Municipalities, particularly those that experience chronic water shortages, are encouraged to promulgate bylaws to address necessary rules for responding to an actual or threatened drought condition.[1]
Any operator of a public water system such as a municipality or a private water company may petition the State to declare a state of water emergency. Private water and regulated suppliers must coordinate mandatory conservation through the PUC. All other suppliers can mandate mandatory conservation themselves.
8.2 State
8.2.1 Water
Resources Board
WRB’s
authority for addressing water supply shortage emergencies is derived from RIGL
§46-15.1-5. The Water Resources Board
has full authority to deal with emergency situations, with the only limitation
being funds. Any funding needs would be
addressed by the Governor and the General Assembly. This authority includes taking land for the expressed purpose of
the water emergency. Water Suppliers
will be expected to address and resolve the emergency by following the
Emergency Response Plan of their Water Supply Systems Management Plan.
8.2.2
Rhode Island
Emergency Management Agency
The RIEMA provides assistance to communities to protect the health and safety of their residents. During a water shortage, the RIEMA may assist communities in locating alternative water supplies and in providing water to their residents. The RIEMA coordinates the acquisition and transport of trucked water, large amounts of bottled water, or other equipment and supplies needed for emergency response. The RIEMA may seek assistance through the RI National Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Army Corps of Engineers, or the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) if the water emergency is beyond the ability of the state to alleviate. The RIEMA may also assist communities in declaring a state of emergency.
8.2.5 Governor
Declared State of Emergency
The State has several established mechanisms for responding to drought conditions. The legislature has placed the primary statutory-based drought management tools at the disposal of the Governor and the Water Resources Board
RIGL. §46-15-14 allows the Governor to declare a water emergency, in all or in a part of the State, to address certain situations in which water supplies are insufficient to meet the needs of the inhabitants of the state either through a water shortage or contamination of water supplies. A proclamation of such a state of emergency provides the Governor with expansive power, authority and discretion to address and resolve the declared emergency. In a water emergency, the Governor may take such actions and issue orders as necessary including imposing conservation measures and the allocation of water supplies. The actions and orders may be directed to state agencies, municipalities, or entities engaged in the sale of water to the public.
APPENDIX A
Drought Task
Force Contact list
FEDERAL CONTACTS:
Dave Vallee
(508) 823-2262
APPENDIX B
MAP OF WATERSHEDS AND ASSOCIATED COUNTIES
APPENDIX C
GENERAL AREAS
SERVED BY WATER SUPPLIERS
APPENDIX D
MODEL DROUGHT
MANAGEMENT BYLAW
MODEL WATER USE RESTRICTION
BYLAW/ORDINANCE 1
This
is a model is to be used by municipalities (and
private water companies?) in developing their own bylaws to regulate the
use of water supplied by a municipal water system. It is for communities
wishing to establish enforceable limitations on the use of water during
temporary periods of high water demand. If properly enacted, the municipal
bylaw will enable municipal water systems to control and mitigate periods of
high demand - with an associated stressed water supply - typically occurring
during the summer months. The restrictions included in the bylaw include
odd/even day outdoor watering, limited outdoor watering hours, outdoor watering
bans, and prohibitions on filling swimming pools and the use of automatic
sprinkler systems. Persons violating the bylaw’s restrictions are subject to
civil fines. If a municipality is
experiencing complex system problems affecting its ability to consistently
provide an adequate supply of water, adopting and implementing the model bylaw
may not address the problem. In that case a declaration of water supply
emergency under M.G.L. c.21G, §15-17 should be requested from the Department.
After enactment, the Department would like to be notified of the state of
conservation imposed, and is planning to revise its regulations to require such
notification. Local requirements for adopting bylaws may vary according to the
terms of individual municipal charters. Consultation with town counsel is
strongly advised before adopting any bylaw. The Department makes no
representation concerning the legal effect or validity of this model.
CONSULT
WITH YOUR TOWN COUNSEL TO INSURE ADOPTION OF AN APPROPRIATE, ENFORCEABLE AND
LEGALLY VALID BYLAW THAT WILL MEET YOUR MUNICIPALITY’S NEEDS.
Section 1 Authority
This
Bylaw is adopted by the Town under its police powers to protect public health
and welfare
and
its powers under M.G.L. c.40, §§21 et seq. and implements the Town’s authority
to regulate water use pursuant to M.G.L. c. 41, §69B. This bylaw also
implements the Town’s authority nder M.G.L. c. 40, §41A, conditioned upon a
declaration of water supply emergency issued by the Department of Environmental
Protection.
Section 2 Purpose
The
purpose of this bylaw is to protect, preserve and maintain the public health,
safety and welfare whenever there is in force a State of Water Supply
Conservation or State of Water Supply Emergency by providing for enforcement of
any duly imposed restrictions, requirements, provisions or conditions imposed
by the Town or by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Section 3 Definitions
Person
shall mean any individual, corporation trust, partnership or association, or
other entity.
State
of Water Supply Emergency shall mean a State of Water Supply Emergency declared
by
the Department of Environmental Protection under M.G.L. c.21G, §15-17. State of Water Supply Conservation shall
mean a State of Water Supply Conservation declared by the Town pursuant to
section 4 of this bylaw.
Water
Users or Water Consumers shall mean all public and private users of the Town’s
public
water
system, irrespective of any person’s responsibility for billing purposes for
water used at any particular facility.
Section 4 Declaration
of a State of Water Supply Conservation
The
Town, through its Board of Water Commissioners 2 , may declare a State of
Water Supply
Conservation
upon a determination by a majority vote of the Board that a shortage of water
exists
and conservation measures are appropriate to ensure an adequate supply of water
to
all
water consumers. Public notice of a State of Water Conservation shall be given
under
section
6 of this bylaw before it may be enforced.
Section 5 Restricted
Water Uses
A
declaration of a State of Water Supply Conservation shall include one or more
of the following restrictions, conditions, or requirements limiting the use of
water as necessary to protect the water supply. The applicable restrictions,
conditions or requirements shall be included in the public notice required
under section 6.
a)
Odd/Even Day Outdoor Watering Outdoor watering by water users with odd
numbered addresses is restricted to odd
numbered days. Outdoor watering by water users with even numbered addresses is
restricted to even numbered days.
b)
Outdoor Watering Ban Outdoor watering is prohibited.
c)
Outdoor Watering Hours Outdoor watering is permitted only during daily periods
of low demand, to be specified in the declaration of a State of Water Supply
Conservation and public
notice
thereof.
d)
Filling Swimming Pools Filling of swimming pools is prohibited.
e)
Automatic Sprinkler Use The use of automatic sprinkler systems is prohibited.
Section 6 Public
Notification of a State of Water Supply Conservation; Notification of DEP
Notification
of any provision, restriction, requirement or condition imposed by the Town as
part of a State of Water Supply Conservation shall be published in a newspaper
of general circulation within the Town, or by such other means reasonably
calculated to reach and inform all users of water of the State of Water Supply
Conservation. Any restriction imposed under section 5 shall not be effective
until such notification is provided. Notification of the State of Water Supply
Conservation shall also be simultaneously provided to the Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection.
Section 7 Termination
of a State of Water Supply Conservation; Notice
A
State of Water Supply Conservation may be terminated by a majority vote of the
Board of Water Commissioners, upon a determination that the water supply
shortage no longer exists. Public notification of the termination of a State of
Water Supply Conservation shall be given in
the
same manner required by section 6.
Section 8 State of
Water Supply Emergency; Compliance with DEP Orders
Upon
notification to the public that a declaration of a State of Water Supply
Emergency has been issued by the Department of Environmental Protection, no
person shall violate any provision, restriction, requirement, condition of any
order approved or issued by the Department intended to bring about an end to
the State of Emergency.
Section 9 Penalties
Any
person violating this bylaw shall be liable to the Town in the amount of $50.00
for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent violation which shall
inure to the Town for such uses as the Board of Water Commissioners may direct.
Fines shall be recovered by indictment, or on complaint before the District
Court, or by non-criminal disposition in accordance with section 21D of chapter
40 of the general laws. Each day of violation shall constitute a separate
offense.
Section 10
Severability
The
invalidity of any portion or provision of this bylaw shall not invalidate any
other portion or provision thereof.
1 The
terms “town” and “bylaw” used throughout this document are intended to also
refer to cities and ordinances, respectively.
2 References
to Boards of Water Commissioners throughout this bylaw should be edited by
particular Cities and Towns to accurately describe the municipal department or
board having responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the water
supply system.
APPENDIX E
Summaries of State Guide Plan Policies related to water conservation
The key objective of this plan is protection of
water quantity and quality in the most cost-effective and environmentally sound
manner. Specific policies include:
·
Demand
management, including the establishment of attainable and targeted water use
reduction objectives, shall be an integral part of water resource management.
·
Water
suppliers shall implement conservation programs to encourage their customers to
use water efficiently.
·
Water
suppliers shall strive to reduce peak demands.
·
Commercial
and industrial consumers proposing new uses, or major changes of use, shall
utilize appropriate technical standards for consumption projections and shall
utilize cost-effective, state-of-the-art equipment for controlling water use.
·
Withdrawals
from both surface and groundwater sources shall be managed based on improved
data taking into consideration the safe yield of surface reservoirs and the
recharge rate of groundwater aquifers.
·
Water
suppliers shall strive to minimize non-account water.
·
Technical
information shall be made available to consumers to facilitate demand
management and to guide the resource management activities of water systems.
SGP Element
722 – Water Supply Plan for Rhode Island
The purpose of this plan is to complement the Water Supply Policies element by
presenting findings, conclusions, and recommendations about water supply and
demand over the next twenty years (i.e. 2012).
Specific policies include:
·
Promote
effective leak-detection and repair programs and infrastructure rehabilitation
by local water utilities.
·
Design
and conduct aggressive sanitary device retrofit programs, backed-up by
regulation, with free devices and installation.
·
Provide
technical assistance and water-use audits to major industrial, commercial,
institutional/governmental, and agricultural users on a one-to-one basis.
·
Use
conservation-oriented pricing structures (e.g. increasing block rates and
seasonal pricing) for both water and sewage, and evaluate the use of combined
billing and/or better information and itemization of customer use to encourage
conservation.
·
Complete
and adopt a comprehensive statewide drought management program as part of the
state water supply emergency plan. A
drought management program should use consistent approaches to announce various
levels of drought watch or drought emergency and provide a framework for local
water utility implementation. Local
drought response programs are required under the 1991 Water Supply Management
Act. They should focus primarily on
progressive levels of limiting outdoor watering and other discretionary water
use. Performance should be monitored by
Statewide Planning and the Water Resources Board to determine long-term
effectiveness and implications for required margins of safety and safe yield
reliability estimates in water resource planning.
·
Coordinate
state, regional, and local water conservation and education programs at a basic
ongoing level, with provisions for more aggressive programs in periods of
higher need. The PUC may have to
mandate more aggressive water conservation and education programs in critical
areas of the state.
·
Establish
with local water utilities, clear guidelines for service extensions and service
area definitions. There have been and
will continue to be numerous water service extensions to developing areas or
areas with severe water problems.
Service area extensions need to be more carefully monitored to avoid
putting unnecessary strain on public supplies.
·
Use
non-potable water where practicable for industrial water supply.
APPENDIX F
DROUGHT RESPONSE PLAN FOR AGRICULTURE
1. Monitoring - DAG will monitor stream
flow at USGS gaging stations, predominately within the Pawcatuck Basin. Stream flows will be evaluated in relation
to selected flow levels indicative of low flow or drought conditions, as well
as in relation to rainfall and
groundwater levels. DAG will provide
written information on stream flow and precipitation levels on a regular basis
to farmers and stakeholders.
2. Disaster Funding - DAG, in
coordination with USDA, will seek disaster and emergency response funding. DAG will coordinate with the Governor’s
office for a disaster declaration, if necessary, which will enable the state to
seek federal disaster assistance.
Federal disaster assistance will be sought to provide compensation for
crop losses attributable to drought conditions, and cost sharing on ponds and
wells constructed for emergency water supply.
DAG will seek state financial assistance as necessary.
3. Media Campaign and Marketing - DAG
will conduct a media campaign and special marketing program to increase and
maintain public awareness of the importance of local agriculture, and the need
to continue it’s support (by buying local products) under drought
conditions. The campaign will involve
radio and newspaper advertisements and promotions, public service
announcements, press releases and television coverage.
4. Emergency Water Supply - DAG will
coordinate with appropriate state and federal agencies to provide emergency
water supplies. The DAG, WRB and USDA
will develop and provide to farmers a list of water suppliers and transporters
available to provide and/or transport
water. DAG in coordination with USDA
and EMA will provide and set up water bladders at farms where water supply is
critically low and where there is imminent danger of livestock or crop
losses. DAG in coordination with
appropriate offices of DEM, ACOE, and USDA will issue emergency permits for
pond or well construction in accordance with the protocol listed below
(Standards and Conditions for Construction and/or Expansion of Ponds or Wells
Under Drought Conditions). DAG will
facilitate any available effort to provide water to farmers under drought
conditions.
5. Long Term Planning - DAG in
coordination with USDA shall continue long term planning efforts to reduce the
potential vulnerability of farmers to drought conditions. Efforts shall include accessability and use
by farmers of adequate water supplies, improvements to pumping and irrigation
conveyance systems, water supply and use management, and emergency response planning.
STANDARDS
AND CONDITIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND/OR EXPANSION OF PONDS OR WELLS UNDER DROUGHT CONDITIONS
The
Director of DEM may authorize revised and expedited permitting procedures for
farmers during drought conditions.
These procedures pertain to the review by the Division of Agriculture of
the construction of new ponds, expansion of existing ponds, or the construction of temporary wells by farmers
for agricultural purposes. The
following standards and conditions apply:
1. Project construction shall not initiate
prior to written authorization by the Division of Agriculture. The Division of Agriculture may verbally
authorize on site the initiation of construction for critical situations, and shall followup in writing
within 24 -48 hours.
Approvals
are valid for a period of sixty (60) days and all construction must take place
during this period. All plan
modifications must be approved by the Division of Agriculture and be reflected
in an amendment to the original permit.
The Division of Agriculture shall coordinate all project reviews with
the Division of Water Resources.
2. Revised and expedited permitting
procedures shall pertain to legitimate farmers who do not meet the definition
pursuant to R.I.G.L 2-1-22 (j), where critical water needs exist. Permitting procedures shall also pertain to
the construction and use of wells on a temporary basis, and fill for pond
embankments where absolutely necessary.
Authorization to use wells is limited to drought conditions as
determined by the Director. A
Memorandum of Understanding shall be executed between the Division of
Agriculture and Division of Water Resources regarding this section.
3.. Permits shall be issued only for projects
determined to be insignificant alterations for freshwater wetlands. Adverse effects to the flow and circulation
patterns, and chemical and biological characteristics of freshwater wetlands
and the aquatic environment shall be minimized. The water quality status of surface waters and their tributaries within the project area must not be
degraded. Projects shall not divert or
impound stream flows.
4.
All projects plans and proposals shall be consistent with USDA/Natural
Resources Conservation Service standards.
The farmer is responsible for providing supporting documentation
regarding the project, and field delineation of the proposed pond footprint and
site characteristics Supporting
documentation for the project shall include plans describing the pond
features, wetlands edge, and a written
description of the project.
5. No fill material may be placed into any
wetland either onsite or offsite unless specifically authorized either as a
part of the approval for this project or a separate approval. Adequate measures shall be taken prior to,
during and following construction to ensure protection of wetlands areas from
sediment deposition. Soil and erosion
and sediment controls shall remain in place until all areas have
stabilized.
6. Approvals issued by the Division of
Agriculture do not remove the applicants obligation to obtain necessary permits
from other federal, state or local agencies, and must be consistent with the U.
S. Army Corp of Engineers Programmatic General Permit for Rhode Island (note -
irrigation ponds by farmer are specifically exempt from Section 404 permitting
requirements).
7. Division of Agriculture staff will visit and review the site during construction for conformance.
Note: In the interest of
encouraging use of treated wastewater as a conservation measure, outdoor water
uses that employ treated wastewater are exempted from these lists.
1.
Washing down streets, sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking
lots, tennis courts, or other hard surface areas.
2.
Washing down buildings or structures for purposes other than
immediate fire protection.
3.
Flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any
gutter or street.
4.
Washing any motor bike, motor vehicle, boat, trailer, airplane or
other vehicle in public or private garages or elsewhere.
5.
Maintaining fountains, reflection ponds, and decorative water
bodies for aesthetic or scenic purposes, except where necessary to support
aquatic life.
6.
Filling or maintaining private swimming pools.
7.
Watering lawns, plants, trees, and other flora on private or
public property in daylight hours
8.
Planting of turf and new landscaping, except for soil
stabilization, e.g., new construction.
B.
Commercial and Industrial/Government Agencies
1.
Serving water routinely in restaurants
2.
Increasing water levels in scenic and recreational ponds and
lakes, except for the minimum amount required to support fish and wildlife.
Operating public fountains.
3.
Obtaining water from hydrants for construction purposes, fire
drills, or for any other purpose other than firefighting.
4.
Serving customers who have been given a 10 day notice to repair
one or more leaks and have failed to comply.
5.
Expanding commercial nursery facilities, placing new irrigated
agricultural land in production, or planting of landscaping except when
required for soil stabilization.
6.
Fire hydrant testing
7.
Flushing sewers