By: Brian Shappell
Below average rainfall throughout 2001 probably won’t have a negative impact on the 2002 growing season say local farmers.
Still, the Department of Environmental Protection is urging people to begin conserving water in case of another long dry spell.
With most of the state in a drought watch or drought warning, multiple days of rain have been long overdue, said Loretta O’Donnell, a spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Protection. The South Brunswick, Monroe and Jamesburg areas are currently in a drought watch.
However, she said recent rainfall is not enough to make up for the precipitation shortfall.
"We still have a ways to go because October and November were the driest they’ve been in years," Ms. O’Donnell said. "We need to get at least normal rainfall through the winter and spring for the summer to be OK."
She said the 1 ¼ inch of rain at the month’s half-way point is off the 3 ¾ inch pace usually expected for December.
Locals such as South Brunswick farmer Bob Von Thun, Cranbury farmer Alan Danser and Monroe Township Municipal Utilities Authority Executive Director Mike Rodgers said they believe there’s no need for worry, at least for the winter months.
Mr. Von Thun and Mr. Danser said they’re not worried at this point about next year’s growing season.
"Time will tell," Mr. Von Thun said. "The last five years have been dry, but these things go in cycles. Worrying isn’t going to do any good. If you worry about everything in this business, you’ll be dead."
Mr. Danser said crops for most local farmers are not dependent on winter precipitation but by spring and early summer rain.
"It doesn’t matter to farmers here like it does to farmers in the Midwest because we don’t have eight inches of topsoil to store water," Mr. Danser said. "We’re not going to benefit for the summer from anything that happens in the next three months."
In fact, most farmers were not effected by the driest point of the year, October through November.
"For us, a lot of the crops were finished so we were able to stay on top of it," said Mr. Von Thun.
Ms. O’Donnell admitted that central New Jersey is starting to pull out of the drought conditions despite worry over months of low levels for streambeds and ground water supplies.
"We’re getting a lot of rain right now so the streamflow is good," said Ms. O’Donnell. "Central Jersey is in good shape. There’s an adequate water supply right now."
Ms. O’Donnell also said that water conservation was important year- round because another stint of dry weather could force the state to impose water use restrictions.
Among the conservation tips the DEP is urging for the coming months is not letting the faucet run while shaving or brushing teeth, using a pan to rinse vegetables, taking showers instead of baths and installing faucet aerator and showerheads.
For more information on water conservation, visit www.njdrought.org.