Rainfall helps ease some drought concerns in Spartanburg County.
Hide caption Spartanburg Water reports Lake Bowen is nearly 2 inches above full pool.
TIM KIMZEY/Staff file Staff Writer @bmontgomeryshj Recent rains have helped replenish Spartanburg County’s water supply, though the county is still classified as being in a moderate drought, the CEO of Spartanburg Water said Tuesday.
Sue Schneider said lakes Bowen and Blalock are actually above full pool, which means they are overflowing with water.
Lake Bowen is nearly 2 inches above full pool and Lake Blalock about 1 inch above.
Earlier this month, the S.C. Drought Response Committee decided to keep Spartanburg County’s drought designation as moderate, the third of five levels.
Schneider said the variables that determine a drought can change from one area to the next.
“And our basin is strong, so we continue to have good water supply.” At its April 6 meeting, the drought response committee noted soil moisture across the state is below the five-year average, affecting spring planting of crops, and wildfire activity was 70 percent higher than usual in March and is expected to peak this month.
The committee will meet again in late May to discuss current drought conditions and change any drought statuses.
Along with Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties are also in a moderate drought.