"I've noticed our waterfalls going from flowing to a trickle to a drip to dry," said Michael Morales, a park ranger with Clark Nature Park. Morales, who has worked as a ranger for 25 years, 19 of those in his Fayetteville hometown, said this summer's conditions are unusual.
"It's just been getting worse and worse," Morales said.
Morales explained that it is rare to see the park's waterfalls completely dry during the summer months. Now, he's watching the drought take a toll on plants and animals alike. "So I'm noticing the plants are drying out, the animals seem stressed, I'm seeing more birds visiting puddles and to get water," he said.
Regular park visitor Kristopher Thomas, who frequents Clark Nature Park with his family, said the dry conditions are impossible to ignore. "You can hear like the stream, the background noise and stuff coming from it. But yeah, today is definitely, definitely dry," Thomas said.
Thomas said he's worried about what could come next if the drought continues. "What could that be doing with the wells and stuff? You know, just the water period," he wondered.
City officials are also keeping a close eye on the situation. Haven Cashwell, project manager for the City of Fayetteville's water department, said, "Cumberland County is experiencing two different classifications: drought, severe, and extreme. Last week we had some rain roll through the area, and so our extreme area got a little bit smaller, but it's still present."
The changes are stark. Last year, before the drought, the waterfall near the park center was flowing. Six months into the drought, only a small stream remained. Today, the waterfall is completely dry.
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Morales said the Cape Fear River is the city's main water supply. "So it's stressful for us. We've luckily avoided water restrictions like they're having in Raleigh and Durham right now. But if this drought don't break, you know, we're we're headed that way," he said.
Park rangers say they'll continue to monitor conditions, but until the area receives more consistent rainfall, the stress on local wildlife is expected to continue.
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