Some welcome rains this afternoon aren't enough to make a dent in the overall drought in Northeast Texas.
This region might not have it as bad as most of the state, but drought conditions are affecting area lakes as well as municipal water supplies.
According to updated reports released today by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, all of Northeast Texas is in some stage of drought.
Among area lakes, Cooper Lake has been hardest hit by drought conditions, with current levels showing the lake at 46 percent of capacity, according to the Texas Water Development Board. (Complete data below)
In the part of the report addressing overall drought, Collin, Rockwall, Kaufman, Van Zandt and Wood Counties are all listed as having severe drought conditions. In Hunt County, severe drought areas are south of a line from near Commerce to near Celeste. Hopkins and Franklin counties are in severe drought south of a line close to Interstate 30. North of those areas, the drought is characterized as moderate.
Water restrictions continue throughout much of the region. Josephine, Greenville, Rockwall, Fate, Terrell, Bonham, Wolfe City, Campbell and Cooper are among cities in the region asking residents to conserve water use.
The area’s vegetation also reflected drought stress, according to the report, with Hopkins County hit worst in that regard. Most of the vegetation in Hopkins County is in drought conditions.
KETR service area lake levels (percent of capacity)
- Cooper 46%
- Lavon 63%
- Tawakoni 75%
- Bob Sandlin 76%
- Fork 79%
- Sulphur Springs 81%
- Ray Hubbard 83%
- Pat Mayse 84%
- Cypress Springs 90%
- Bonham 92%
- Crook 94%
- Monticello 98%
Source: Texas Water Development Board