Cloudy skies have made several days of the Christmas season dreary, but their rain is a welcome sight. For the first time since May 2007, Rowan is officially out of a drought. The much-needed precipitation started in September, and it has been a relief.
The impact of the drought will not go away as easily as the drought status, unfortunately. Some 59 counties in the state have been designated as disaster areas because of crop losses earlier this year. That includes Rowan, Cabarrus, Davie, Iredell and Stanly counties. The designation allows farmers in those counties to apply for low-interest loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program, which will be of some help.
Not all of North Carolina is so lucky. More than 40 counties are still struggling with dryness. Eleven counties in the southwestern tip of the state still linger in extreme drought conditions.
Salisbury and other municipalities continue to ask their residents to use voluntary water conservation practices ó limit lawn watering and irrigation, reuse household water for watering when possible, turn off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth and so on.
The idea is to make a habit of conserving water all the time, not just when a drought sets in. As extended dry periods have taught us, water is a precious commodity. It should be treated as such.