By Sam Kirkland, The Republic
skirkland@therepublic.com
Record-low rainfall in May and a slow start to June have caused drought conditions in Columbus and much of central and southern Indiana, according to climate experts.
The city's 0.74 inches of rain in May were the lowest since recordkeeping began in 1893, said Logan Johnson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. So far in June, just 0.47 inches has fallen. The average rainfall total for May is 4.63 inches; in June, it is 3.45 inches. Although conditions are very dry, no exact definition exists for what constitutes a drought. "A basic definition would be any abnormal period of prolonged dryness," Johnson said. According to Ken Scheeringa, associate state climatologist at Purdue University, most of Indiana is in a D0 stage, the least severe of the five categories used to rank drought conditions in a "drought index."
"That's the very beginning stage of drought," Scheeringa said.
Keith Reeves, director of city utilities, says Columbus's water supply is in little danger.
The city's water comes from two well fields: at Lincoln Park and the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds.
The wells are 80 to 100 feet deep, and the city can pump up to 25 million gallons of water each day. Current demand is 12 to 13 million gallons.
Reeves said the city could continue to meet water needs "almost indefinitely."
"Columbus sits on a very abundant aquifer," he said.
Indianapolis, meanwhile, is urging homeowners to stop watering lawns to reduce water consumption, according to the Indianapolis Star. The Indianapolis system is not equipped to treat and deliver the overwhelming amount of water customers are demanding.
The Star also reported that Noblesville officials have declared a water emergency and have ordered residents to stop watering grass. Mayor John Ditslear called the ban "an issue of public safety."
Although dry conditions are common in the summer, the current dry spell is a result of a "persistent weather pattern," according to Johnson. A ridge of high pressure has driven clouds away and given rise to sunny skies. Temperatures, however, are normal for this time of year. Johnson said it was difficult to predict how long the conditions would continue. "We need a large-scale pattern change," Johnson said. The dry spell, which began near the end of April, followed very wet conditions that began in mid-September. The last significant area drought occurred in 1999. A state-imposed ban on open burning caused an Ethnic Expo fireworks show to be postponed in October of that year.
In 1988, severe tinder dry conditions caused local Fourth of July fireworks shows, including those at Harrison Lake and Ceraland, to be canceled.
This year's June rainfall has already surpassed the total for all of June 1988.