2020 Drought in New England
Links
- Document: Report (21.4 MB pdf)
- Tables:
- Table 1.1 (7.53 KB csv) - Streamgages
- Table 1.2 (10.2 KB csv) - Groundwater observation wells
- Figures:
- Figure 4, full size (573 KB pdf) - Moving average 7-day flows
- Figure 5, full size (71.9 MB pdf) - 30- and 25-year percentiles
- Figure 6, full size (270 KB pdf) - Groundwater levels
- Database: National Water Information System
- Version History: Version History (2.33 KB txt)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Below average and infrequent rainfall from May through September 2020 led to an extreme hydrologic drought across much of New England, with some areas experiencing a flash drought, reflecting its quick onset. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded record-low streamflow and groundwater levels throughout the region. In September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (2020) declared Aroostook County in Maine and Hillsborough and Merrimack Counties in New Hampshire as crop disaster areas. By the beginning of October, 166 community water systems and 5 municipalities in New Hampshire, more than 100 municipalities in Massachusetts, and several community water supplies in Connecticut, Maine, and Rhode Island had mandatory water restrictions in place.
Suggested Citation
Lombard, P.J., Barclay, J.R., and McCarthy, D.E., 2020, 2020 drought in New England (ver. 1.1, February 2021): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020–1148, 12 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201148.
ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)
Study Area
Table of Contents
- Highlights
- Study Area
- Drought Definitions
- Drought Severity
- Meteorological Drought
- U.S. Geological Survey Streamflow and Groundwater-Level Monitoring Networks in New England
- Data Analysis
- Hydrologic Drought of 2020
- Groundwater Conditions
- Comparison of Streamflow Statistics to Previous Droughts
- Provisional Nature of the Data
- Acknowledgments
- Summary
- References Cited
- Appendix 1. U.S. Geological Survey Streamgages and Groundwater Observation Wells Used To Analyze Drought Conditions in New England in 2020
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | 2020 drought in New England |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 2020-1148 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20201148 |
| Edition | Version 1.0: December 22, 2020; Version 1.1: February 11, 2021 |
| Year Published | 2020 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | New England Water Science Center |
| Description | Report: 12 p.; 3 Figures; 2 Tables |
| Country | United States |
| State | Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont |
| Other Geospatial | New England |
| Online Only (Y/N) | Y |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | Y |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |