North Carolina drought tracker: Latest restrictions, water levels and drought impacts

Locally heavy rainfall over the past week has brought some much-needed relief to parts of central North Carolina, with many areas improving by one to two drought categories in the latest update.

The improvements follow a wetter-than-normal July across much of the state. State officials say significant rainfall over the past week has helped improve drought conditions in central and northeastern North Carolina, and streamflows are now near normal in most areas.

Still, drought conditions remain a concern.

"Although recent rainfall has made a dent in the problem, we're not in the clear yet," Gov. Josh Stein said Thursday. "I encourage North Carolinians to check their local water system's conservation status and do their part to use water wisely."

Rain has been less consistent across northern North Carolina, which continues to be reflected in water supply conditions. Kerr Lake stabilized after recent rainfall but did not rise and remains 5.4 feet below its normal pool level for this time of year.

The recent rain also boosted water levels at several Triangle reservoirs. Falls Lake remains 3.1 feet below normal, while Little River Reservoir and Lake Michie in northern Durham County are still 12.3 feet and 8.8 feet below normal levels, respectively. Jordan Lake saw some of the biggest gains from the recent rainfall and is now close to full.

DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson said the recent wet weather shouldn't distract from the long-term impacts of months of dry conditions.

"It may seem odd to talk about drought and continued water conservation after days of very wet weather, but we need to make up for months of extremely dry conditions," Wilson said.

State drought experts say the weather pattern appears to be improving, but recovery will take time.

"We still have drought across the state, but most impacts are long term and will just take time and slightly above normal rain to improve," said Klaus Albertin, chair of the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council.

Officials continue to encourage residents to conserve water, noting that many reservoirs and groundwater supplies remain below normal despite recent improvements.

Durham city leaders said the recent rain helped, but not enough to ease water restrictions.

Last week, the city began pumping water from the Teer Quarry into its water treatment system.

City leaders told ABC11 on Wednesday that Teer Quarry is helping preserve the primary water supply as drought conditions continue.

According to Durham officials, Teer Quarry has reduced demand on Lake Michie and the Little River Reservoir by 3 to 4 million gallons every day since last week.

The city remains under stage two restrictions.

"We are staying steady where we are," Mayor Leo Williams told ABC11. "The rain has helped, but we actually got dangerously close to having to escalate to the next phase. So, we're staying in phase 2."

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The reservoir in Siler City was at 85% capacity on Wednesday thanks to the recent rainfall.

Because of that, authorities are moving Siler City and southwest Chatham County out of voluntary water restrictions.

Residents are encouraged to continue to use water wisely, such as taking shorter showers, only running full laundry loads, and limiting unnecessary outdoor water use. The reservoir has not yet returned to full capacity, and hot, dry conditions are expected to persist across the region.

Conserving water now can help protect reservoir levels and reduce the likelihood that water restrictions will need to be reinstated, a TriRiver Water spokesman noted.

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One week after Durham began pumping water from Teer Quarry into its treatment system, city officials say the project is helping preserve the community's primary water supply as drought conditions persist.

According to Durham officials, Teer Quarry has reduced demand on Lake Michie and Little River Reservoir by approximately 3 million to 4 million gallons per day since coming online last week. The water is being pumped directly into the city's treatment system and used to meet daily demand, reducing the amount that must be drawn from Durham's two main reservoirs.

Officials said that is exactly the role the quarry was designed to play during periods of water stress. While residents may not see reservoir levels rise as a result, the project is helping extend the life of Durham's primary water supply while the city waits for more significant rainfall.

Recent rounds of rain have provided some relief, but Durham leaders say conditions have not improved enough to change the city's overall water outlook. The rainfall has helped improve soil moisture and reduce landscape watering demand, but reservoir levels remain well below full capacity.

City officials also noted that long-range forecasts continue to paint a concerning picture. The National Weather Service and NOAA's Climate Prediction Center are forecasting drought conditions to persist through the fall.

As the drought continues, Durham officials say conservation efforts remain important even as Teer Quarry helps reduce pressure on the city's reservoir system.