National Climatic Data Center, 14 January 2003

According to a January 7, 2003, news release from the U.S. Geological Service office in Baltimore, Maryland (Wendy McPherson):

Above normal amounts of rain and snow during the past 3 months have brought groundwater and streamflow levels back to normal and above normal levels, ending the Maryland-Delaware region's worst hydrologic (groundwater and streamflow levels) drought on record. A water-supply drought still exists in Maryland and water restrictions are still in place because reservoir levels in the Baltimore area remain below the normal levels needed to meet the water-use demands for next summer.

Recovery from severe hydrologic drought conditions has been quicker than expected. In September 2002, many wells and streamflow stations were setting all-time record lows; by December, most of the stations had returned to normal or above normal levels.

In September 2002, 9 of the 16 wells used by the USGS to assess water resources across Maryland and Delaware set monthly record lows; 7 were all-time records (shown in orange in the table). This table shows how water levels have responded to precipitation and increased over the last 3 months. Rising water levels indicate that aquifers are being recharged and the hydrologic drought has ended. The largest increase was in Carroll County (10.26). Only two of the nine wells had below normal levels at the end of December.

Was the hydrologic drought of 2002 worse than the 1960s drought? In 2002, the drought was so severe that water restrictions were in place for most of the year in Maryland and many new domestic wells drilled. In some communities, water was hauled into their region to meet water supply needs, as many reservoirs reached very low levels. Delaware also experienced the strain of drought conditions. During the 2002 drought, it was possible to monitor groundwater and streamflow conditions using real-time data. This technology enabled managers of water-supply operations to make timely decisions.

Groundwater Summary: Since the USGS began measuring wells in Maryland and Delaware, never before has there been so many wells breaking monthly record lows for such a long time. The number of monthly record lows exceeded those set during the 1960s drought. This graph shows the number of monthly record low groundwater levels that were set for the 16 wells the USGS uses to track water conditions. More than twice the number of records were set in 2002 than 1966. In 2002, 72 monthly record lows were set, while in 1966, only 32 monthly record lows were set. The water levels ranged from 1 to 6 feet below normal levels and many exceeded the previous record by about 1 foot.