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State Upgrades Lewis County from Drought Watch to
Drought Warning
Published: September 24, 2025
at 04:00 p.m.
By: linkinglewiscounty.com
 New York State has upgraded a previously
issued Drought Watch for Lewis County to a Drought Warning today. A
"warning" is the second of four levels of State drought
advisories (watch, warning, emergency and disaster). Under a Drought
Warning, voluntary water conservation is intensified, and public water
supplies and industries are advised to update and implement local drought
contingency plans. Local agencies make plans in case of emergency
declaration.
According to
the State’s
drought monitoring web page, drought status determinations are based on
a State Drought Index that uses New York State specific attributes, so it
may differ somewhat from national drought assessments. In addition, local
conditions may vary, so some areas of the state may make their own
terminations of drought stage using locally-focused
criteria.
Counties now
under a Drought Warning include Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chemung, Clinton,
Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, northern Herkimer, Lewis, Steuben, St. Lawrence,
and Warren.
Residents are
strongly encouraged to voluntarily conserve water. Local agencies have
discretion to initiate mandatory restrictions according to local codes and
plans. Local public water suppliers may require conservation measures,
depending on local conditions. If you are experiencing a water shortage,
please contact your water supplier, local agricultural extension, or local
health department.
There are steps
you can take to help conserve water:
- Fix leaking pipes, fixtures, toilets, hoses,
and faucets.
- Wash only full loads of dishes and
laundry.
- Take shorter showers
or fill the bathtub only half of the way.
- Reuse water collected from rain barrels,
dehumidifiers, or air conditioners to water plants.
- Use a broom to clean driveways and sidewalks,
instead of a hose.
- Don't run the tap to make water hot or
cold.
- Wash cars less frequently.
For more
information about drought preparedness visit the NYS Department of Homeland
Security and Emergency Services website: https://www.dhses.ny.gov/drought
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