For the first time since April 2016, Alabama and Mississippi are free from drought, but Auburn remains under voluntary water restrictions because of ongoing spillway construction at the city’s main water source.
A federal assessment released Thursday shows rains have eliminated the dry spell that began in 2016.
The worst period of dry weather was last fall when all of Alabama was in a drought for an eight-week period that began in late October.
Statistics from the National Drought Mitigation Center show conditions have improved steadily since then.
Auburn again issued voluntary water restrictions after dry weather toward the end of April, which, despite recent rains from Tropical Storm Cindy, remain in place because of continued construction on a new spillway at Lake Ogletree.
The lake has been drawn down to allow construction to continue, so water from heavy rains is being let out to finish the project.
“The trick now is not really drought so much as Lake Ogletree levels as we finish the spillway project,” said David Dorton, Auburn’s public affairs director.
“When we’re done, we’ll have more reserves to endure future drought.
Until we’re done, lake levels are … lower than we like for this time of year and the high water demand that goes with it.” In light of the construction that is expected to finish in the fall, according to Auburn’s Water Resource management Director Eric Carson, the city is asking for residents’ help to conserve water.
They also encourage even-numbered addresses to water on Monday, Wednesday or Friday and for odd-numbered addresses to water on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.