July 6, 2022 Submitted by the Weir River Watershed Association
Summer’s in full swing! The beautiful weather has also kicked off a Level-2 Significant Drought in the area. Usually associated with parched landscapes out west, drought has increasingly affected Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset, as well as the state as a whole. We have had below-normal rainfall for the past 3 months. We were last in a drought from January August, 2021, and before that, for most of 2020. The continued low water supply first impacts our wildlife—particularly our fish and birds, but eventually our ability to grow as a community and our public health. Water conservation has never been more important. Here’s how to help.
Stop the Sprinklers!
The MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the MA Emergency Management Agency ask residents to conserve water—most significantly, by limiting outdoor watering to hand-held between 5:00 PM – 9:00 AM. Your lawn will survive; it goes dormant, not dead, in dry weather. Take the pledge to use water for people, not lawns, at https://www.nsrwa.org/get-watersmart/sign-our water-for-people-not-lawns-pledge/.
Call to Action!
Another way you can help is to support passage of the Drought Bill. Currently, water conservation restrictions are enacted at the municipality level, resulting in inconsistencies across watersheds, which are confusing and decrease effectiveness. Officially H.898/S.530, An Act relative to maintaining adequate water supplies through effective drought management, the Drought Bill would give the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs the authority to require uniform water conservation for all water users across a drought region. Agricultural businesses would be exempt. Please email the Senate Ways & Means leadership in support of this bill. Their email addresses and sample text follow:
Michael.Rodrigues@masenate.gov
Cindy.Friedman@masenate.gov
Dear Chair Rodrigues and Vice Chair Friedman,
Please report S.530 out favorably from committee. This bill is a top priority for me and my community. It will protect our rivers, water supply, and wildlife from harmful drought effects. My community is facing a "Significant" drought right now - there is no better time to strengthen water conservation.
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Thank you for being part of the solution! Employing smarter water conservation practices now will help Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset continue to be a summer wonderland for generations to come.