Greenbelt nears Stage 3 drought level

Conserve where you can and pray for rain. That’s the message this week from Greenbelt Municipal & Industrial Water Authority, which is giving notice that it is in Stage 2 of its drought contingency plan and is nearing Stage 3.

The plan in both stages seeks to reduce consumption of water, but Greenbelt General Manager Bobbie Kidd says the real concern is weather.

“The problem is not usage. It’s pure lack of rainfall and this hot, dry wind,” Kidd said.
Greenbelt says the reservoir looses a huge amount of water – almost equal to what is consumed – to simple evaporation, which is worse in hot, windy weather.

Usage meanwhile is falling due to a declining population in the member cities that Greenbelt serves, Kidd said.

That doesn’t mean people should not conserve water wherever they can, because, as Kidd points out, “Every bit helps.”

Greenbelt Lake has been in Stage 2 for three years, although it did come out of it briefly last year when wet weather brought the lake level up five feet. Now the lake is just barely one foot above the Stage 3 level.

On Monday, the lake depth was at 52.07 feet. Stage 3 kicks in when the lake falls to 51 feet, and the plan calls for the authority to reduce the levels in municipal storage tanks, which Kidd said reduces water pressure and therefore reduces usage. Greenbelt’s board would decide whether to implement that rule though.

“It may not come to that,” Kidd said. “The lake’s not changing real fast, and if we can catch some rain, the lake will come up fast.”

For now the biggest concern is that lower lake levels will impact recreation at Greenbelt, which
has two boat ramps open. Kidd says those ramps probably can’t be extended any further.

“That could impact money in [Clarendon] if recreation suffers,” Kidd said, but he noted that forecasts are calling for a cooler, wetter summer later this year. But until the weather pattern changes, Kidd advises, “Don’t waste any.”