New Jersey going through dry spell

New Jersey is much dryer than usual, but Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Bob Consadine says it’s not at the drought stage yet.

“What we’re seeing right now is maybe a little bit of shortage in our groundwater and stream flows in certain locations in New Jersey, but overall our reservoirs are where they should be at this moment,” he said.

Most of New Jersey has not gotten even an inch of rain in the last month when the normal average is about four inches, said state climatologist Dave Robinson.

“Most people have probably noticed that they or their neighbors are putting water on their lawns earlier. That’s going to start pulling down from the reservoirs and there’s less water flowing into the reservoirs right now,” Robinson said. “So we have to keep a very keen eye on conditions in the weeks ahead.”

So far, the dry conditions have not posed a big problem for crops, said Peter Furey, executive director of the New Jersey Farm Bureau.

“If you do not have irrigation, you can go a little while without too much rain because the plants are small,” he said. “A lot of corn right now is about six to 12 inches high. If this were the middle of July and accompanied by high temperatures during the day, it would be more concerning.”

A few rainy days would help ease concerns about a potential drought, Furey said.