Fresh water is one of Maine’s most valuable natural resources and below you see – for the first time in a long time -- one of our ponds yesterday finally full of this precious asset. It’s evidence of very good news that was reported in yesterday’s U.S. Drought Monitor.
The Monitor reported that abnormal dryness in Maine was found only in 3.51% of the State and drought was nonexistent as of October 18, the end of the monitoring week:
That’s the best it’s been all of this year and much better than a year ago, when there was abnormal dryness in 35.24% of Maine, moderate drought in 15.50%, and severe drought in 6.56%, according to the Monitor. Stating this news another way: As of October 18, almost all (96.49%) of Maine was “normal,” as compared to only 64.76% of the State being normal a year ago. Nonetheless, as you can see on the map, there still are a few small areas of abnormal dryness.
These latest results reflect the monitored week’s significant rain during which New England experienced widespread 1- to 2-inch rainfall surpluses, with more than 4-inch surpluses in central and western Maine, according to the Monitor. (Photograph taken in Brooklin, Maine, on October 20, 2022.)