State Declares ‘Critical’ Drought as Wildfires Flare

Special to the Transcript

Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper  declared a Level 3-Critical Drought in Massachusetts’s Central and Northeast regions, including the Charles River watershed. This marks a significant escalation from the Level 1-Mild Drought status issued on October 11. The state has experienced over three months of below-normal rainfall, exacerbating drought conditions and causing riverbeds in some areas to run dry.

Streamflow in the Charles River is at critically low levels, with some sections showing zero flow. Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) continues to monitor conditions closely in partnership with state agencies.

“Climate change is driving more frequent and severe droughts, yet even in the face of these extreme conditions, the state lacks the authority to mandate outdoor watering restrictions—it can only recommend them,” said Cabell Eames, Advocacy Director for Charles River Watershed Association. “Water doesn’t respect municipal boundaries, so why should it be up to individual towns to decide how to manage water use during droughts? The Drought Management bill would allow the state to enforce outdoor watering restrictions at the regional level during declared droughts, ensuring consistency, fairness, and better protection for our rivers and water supplies.”

“People usually think of droughts as a summer occurrence; to have this scale of drought, which intensified rapidly, happen in November, is the latest example of our changing climate,” said Mass Rivers Alliance Policy Director Katharine Lange. “Across the state right now, sections of rivers and streams are dried up, unable to support aquatic life. In order to protect these resources, some of the most valued parts of our community, our laws, regulations, and culture have to catch up to the pace of climate change. During a drought, we do have some agency in supporting our waterways through water conservation, particularly through reducing outdoor watering. Our top legislative priority, the Drought Management bill, would scale up our approach to water conservation, replacing a town-by-town patchwork response with regional coordination.”