Environmental Cents: How Dry has it Been?

Bruce Saller looks into how this year's rainfall compares to previous years.

By Bruce Saller
CONTRIBUTOR

Up through early August, our area was rated as either “abnormally dry or in “moderate or severe drought.” (The rainfall from Tropical Depression Debby and the recent thunderstorm improved Virginia’s drought condition.)

The University of Mary Washington’s weather station has a record of daily weather for many years. I have plotted the last ten years of rainfall, and the rainfall during the growing season (April through September) against their respective average rainfalls.

From 2014-2017, even though the annual rainfall was below average, the spring/summer rainfall was above average, which benefited area farmers and gardeners and kept us out of a drought condition.

Since 2021, both the annual rainfall and the spring/summer rainfall have been below average, with the spring/summer rainfall decreasing each year. 

2024 started with a wetter than average winter, followed by a dry spring and summer through July. On July 30, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared that farmers in thirty localities (including Stafford) were eligible for drought emergency assistance.

August was wetter than average, but 88% of the rainfall was due to two events: Tropical Depression Debby and the 8/29 thunderstorm. While the rainfall was welcome, heavy rains can cause crop damage, soil erosion, and flooding, and can impair water quality as pollutants deposited on land wash into water bodies.

It is too soon to tell if our recent dryer conditions are a temporary aberration or part of a longer cycle due to our changing climate, but we should start making changes now to reduce our water usage in case the situation worsens. Here are some things you can do to reduce your long-term water usage:

1. Select water efficient washing machines and dishwashers

2. Plant native and drought resistant plants, trees, and shrubs

3. Plant more perennials than annuals. Perennial’s deep roots require less water and they store carbon in the plants roots, stems and leaves, reducing your carbon footprint. Annuals tend to add to your footprint since they need more fertilizer and water, and don’t store carbon in the soil due to their short roots and lifespan.

4. Plants, especially potted plants, dry out faster in the sun than in the shade, so put them in areas where they are getting the lower end of required sunlight. 

   1. “Full sun” means at least 6 hours/day, but some plants such as vegetables need 8-10 hours/day.

   2. “Partial sun” or “partial shade” means that the plant needs 3-6 hours of direct sun per day.

5. Plants getting morning sun will use less water than those in the stronger afternoon sun.

The National Weather Service is predicting that our area will experience a warmer and wetter than average fall. Hopefully, their prediction will be accurate.

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