The water level at Falls Lake is rising after recent rainfall, but it's still much lower than its normal level as extreme drought conditions persist in central North Carolina.
Data from the U.S. Geological Survey shows the water level at Falls Lake at 245.27 feet as of Thursday, July 9, which is roughly 6 feet below its normal level.
Other WRAL Top Stories
The water level has increased recent days. Prior to storms Tuesday and Wednesday night storms, the lake was at 244.7 feet. A new drought monitor will be released Thursday showing how much recent rain has improved conditions.
There is expected to be some improvement, but WRAL meteorologists have said it will take much more, likely a tropical storm or hurricane, to end this drought, which could be a record drought.
WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said the rain we saw over the past few days does not mean Raleigh water customers are in the clear.
"I know people are excited about the rain that we saw over the last couple of days, but we still have 10 to 15 in of rain to get out of the drought," Gardner explains. "So this definitely helps ... but it is still going to take probably months before we get out of this drought, unfortunately.”
Falls Lake was on pace for its driest June on record early in the month, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The lake is the primary drinking water source for more than 650,000 residents in Raleigh, Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon.
The city of Raleigh is considering moving into Stage 2 restrictions earlier than previously planned.
Raleigh will automatically employ Stage 2 water restrictions if Falls Lake reaches 45% of its water supply, but Ed Buchan with Raleigh Water has asked Raleigh City Council to approve the ability to move more quickly on restrictions even if the trigger is not hit.
Part of the next steps would be limits on watering lawns using sprinklers or hoses and reducing irrigation of athletic fields to once a week instead of twice a week.
The weekly drought monitor will be updated Thursday. According to Gardner, it should show some relief, but it may not show the full impact of the storms from Tuesday night.
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center shows that the drought will likely continue through at least the end of September.