The Southbury Record

Every day, Carol Haskins receives an automated email update with the latest data regarding drought and flood variables for the Pomperaug River.

She routinely checks in on the conditions of the river’s flow, which is currently in its typical low-flow period from July through October.

This past week, the numbers showed the river’s flow had dipped below 32 cubic feet per second (cfs), reaching as low as 17 cfs, caused by hot and dry conditions without rainfall. 

For the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition (PRWC), it marked the entrance into its first threshold of drought awareness.

In what is typically a yearly event, the first threshold isn’t a crisis, but it’s a point when conservation-minded residents are urged to start paying attention.

Haskins, the Executive Director of the PRWC, explained that while this doesn’t affect the entirety of Southbury, it affects all residents within the Pomperaug River Watershed. 

“Conservation is always a good idea, but we’re not in a phase yet where we’re going to see any threat to wildlife,” Haskins told The Record on Monday. “As we move down to the second threshold, that’s when we may start to see the beginning stages of stress for the aquatic community.”

Haskins added that if not for a period of rain this past weekend, a slip into the second threshold was probable. 

Instead, a brief storm this past Saturday caused the continuous data graph to spike after periods of heavy rain.

But as of Monday afternoon, the data is trending towards another stay in the first threshold zone.

“I think we’re going to stay in threshold one for a little while,” said Haskins. “The Sunday forecast is looking pretty decent as far as the cooler temperatures go.”

When the flow of the river is between 32.7 and 15 cfs, it is considered within the first “Low Flow” threshold.

A flow of less than 15 cfs would trigger the second threshold, and includes a call for water conservation from The Heritage Village water system (managed by the Connecticut Water Company), the Town of Southbury, as well as the coalition.

Any river flow less than 7 cfs would trigger a “strongly requested” call for water conservation.

“Once we get down into the third threshold, that’s when it starts to be more problematic,” said Haskins.

The live data graph of the current river flow is available on the United States Geological Survey site.

Residents can play their part in water conservation by decreasing or delaying their use of the biggest water user among the residential areas of town: outdoor irrigation.

A trip to the car wash can wait a week, suggests Haskins, as well as foregoing lawn watering during drought conditions.

Heritage Village system customers and private well owners can also visit ctwater.com for water conservation tips.

And with a multi-day heatwave arriving at the start of this week, Governor Ned Lamont directed the state’s Extreme Hot Weather Protocol to be activated from Monday to at least Wednesday night. 

That means cooling centers will be available around town during those days, offering residents a break from the heat. Anyone needing a place to get out of the heat can locate their nearest cooling center by calling 2-1-1.

The local cooling centers and their hours are as followed:

Southbury Senior Center (561 Main Street South): Monday and Tuesday 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.; Wednesday 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Southbury Public Library at Heritage Hotel (522 Heritage Road): Monday and Wednesday 11:00 am – 5:30 pm; Tuesday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm