Drought alert issued for most of the Hudson Valley

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued a drought alert for all Hudson Valley counties excluding Westchester.

The affected counties ”“ Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster ”“ are under a drought watch, the first of four levels of state drought advisories; the subsequent levels are warning, emergency, and disaster. Under a drought watch, there are no mandatory restrictions on water usage.

“This year”™s below normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures continue to combine to exacerbate low water levels and the environmental impacts of the dry continues and encourage residents throughout the state to monitor usage and avoid wasting water,” said Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos.

Earlier this month, the City of Kingston within Ulster County declared a local drought emergency, with mandates put in place regarding water usage.