Reminder for Chelsea, VT residents during the current drought:
The Chelsea selectboard is aware of the ongoing drought conditions occurring throughout the state. According to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), Chelsea is currently in a level D2 “Severe Drought” which eastern portions of Orange County in a level D3 “Extreme Drought”, with less than 2″ of precipitation in the last 2 months. Further, the CPC expects the drought conditions to continue through at least the next few weeks. Therefore, we thought it would be a good idea to send out a reminder to address a few issues that we’ve heard that will help us get through this period with as little stress as possible.
- Road Conditions: The unpaved roads are very dusty as a result of the lack of rainfall. The road crew has been applying chloride to keep the dust levels down, but the reality is that our chloride supply isn’t sufficient to support all the roads during extended periods of low rainfall. As a result, many of the roads are very dusty which is problematic for everyone who lives nearby. Dust gets on cars, in houses, and is breathed in by everyone outdoors. In addition to the road crew applying chloride to the worst areas while trying to conserve the remaining chloride (some nearby towns have run out entirely), everyone in town can help keep the dust down by reducing their speed on the unpaved roads. Slower speeds greatly reduce the amount of dust that becomes airborne and also improves safety and visibility for people behind you, and will also help keep your house and car cleaner.
- Water Supplies: We have been hearing reports from around the state of private wells running dry, especially shallow wells that are most susceptible during drought conditions. The best way to make sure your well doesn’t run dry is to reduce water usage as much as possible. Making sure that toilets and faucet shutoffs work properly and shutting off hoses when not in use can go a long way to reducing water usage. If you hear your well pump running in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep, that’s a good indicator that you have a leak somewhere.
- Fire Danger: With the low rainfall, fine fuels are very dry and will readily ignite when exposed to a source of ignition. As a result, it’s very easy for a fire to get out of control and spread quickly. The entire state of Vermont is currently under a “High” predicted fire danger. Although there isn’t currently a statewide outdoor burn ban, please make sure to contact our Fire Warden, John Upham, at 685-2253 before you plan to burn. In general, it’s best to wait to burn until the drought conditions are removed from the area, which the Climate Prediction Center believes is likely in the coming few months.