In 1998, this report was placed on the web as water levels declined. It was immediately picked up by the news media. Also presented was the definition of drought . Reservoir storage in the New York City Delaware Basin system is a key factor. As a result of the currency of the data and other information such as Conservation Orders , our Public Information Officer was called for quotes about the drought rather than details.
Reporters frequently provide positive comments about the link.
The drought of 1999 caught the public off guard, because reservoirs were full. But lack of rain the previous year caused unusually low ground water levels. With the continued lack of rainfall beginning in May of 1999, soil dried out and agriculture was severely impacted. This was followed by water supply shortages. In Delaware and New Jersey, the drought conditions were the worst in 105 years.