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DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN MAINE

Knox County EMA has received information on drought from the Maine Emergency Management Agency as well as other data.

Forty-three percent (43%) of the 651,901 households in Maine (about 533,000 people) depend on wells for their water supply. Since May of 2001 all of Maine has been in at least severe drought conditions according to the Palmer Drought Index (PDI). The PDI also shows approximately 45% of the state has been in extreme drought conditions since August of 2001.

In January 2002 MEMA conducted an informal survey of Maine well drillers. They were able to contact 58 of the 125 well drillers that operate in Maine. Of those contacted seven had suspended drilling operations until spring. The remaining 53 drillers reported they had approximately 1,260 households waiting to have a well drilled, and approximately 649 of those households were without water. At the time of the survey some well drillers had wait times extending into April and May.

Nine businesses have been affected by dry or low wells; however, it is suspected that many additional affected businesses remain unknown for a variety of reasons. This drought has also resulted in water supply problems for fourteen schools. Some have tried hydro-fracturing to increase flows and some have had new wells drilled.

County EMA Directors are starting to report in with numbers for affected households. MEMA is in the process of inputting all dry or low well information received from counties into a database so that this data can be cross-matched with information that MEMA has received.

At this time the following counties have reported having dry or low wells:

Androscoggin-Penobscot-Oxford Cumberland

The Knox County EMA office has sent forms to town offices and had news releases in the media, but so far there have been scant few reports.

Through various newspaper articles, MEMA and counties have urged those with water supply problems to report this to their town officials. We are finding that many people are not calling their local officials, or when they do call no record of the call is being kept.

We know that there are many households affected by dry wells that are not on any drillers' waiting list, as they do not have the money required for a new well. We know that there are many households around the state with dry wells that are not known to anyone other than the friends or neighbors who are trying to help them.

As of February 23, 2002, it was projected that coastal Maine would need 8.49 inches of rain in one week to return to normal conditions.

As mentioned previously, the Palmer Drought Index is used to calculate drought conditions. In using the PDI calculations have been made that indicate coastal Maine is at -3.97, which is considered a severe drought category.

The Palmer Drought Index is popular and has been widely used for a variety of applications across the United States. It is most effective measuring impacts sensitive to soil moisture conditions, such as agriculture (Willeke 1994). It has also been useful as a drought-monitoring tool and has been used to trigger actions associated with drought contingency plans. Alley (1984) identified positive characteristics of the Palmer Index that contribute to its popularity:

1. It provides decision makers with a measurement of the abnormality of recent weather for a region;
2. It provides an opportunity to place current conditions in historical perspective; and
3. It provides spatial and temporal representations of historical droughts.

Several states, including New York, Colorado, Maine, Idaho, and Utah use the Palmer Index as one part of drought monitoring systems.

Palmer Calculations

Anyone experiencing drought conditions and having well problems should notify municipal or county officials.

For further information contact the Knox County EMA office at 594-5155.

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