I'm with you, JerseyTom. I've been watering the spicebushes that are within reach of the hose, but while I'm doing so I'm also concerned with the condition of my well.

On the other hand, those areas of my yard that have springs under them are still green and growing. I also notice that there is still water visible in the drywell that collects the runoff from the hill in back of me and drains it under my driveway.

I looked at a NJDEP website last week (at least I think it was DEP)and noticed that the ground water depth is at an average of about 6' beneath the surface. It was over 9' down during the 2001 drought and even lower than that in 1999.

On the television weather yesterday (WNBC) the meteorologist said that our area is down anywhere between 7" and 14" below normal rainfall. This morning he mentioned that last night's rain didn't gather any steam until it had blown out to sea - then the heavier storms formed.

Hi
I am in total agreement. We haven't had a real rain here in Metuchen since June. It seemed to rain around us, but not here. Needless to say my garden wasn't as productive as it should be. I am trying to save the 2 hydrangeas I planted this spring with heavy watering every other day. My peppers were pathetic, tomatoes pretty good, and all the early stuff broccoli, snow peas, stringbeans, were fine. But once the drought set in, everything stopped. The soil is dry even under a 6" hay mulch. The tree root competition for water in this area doesn't help either. I have never waited for the first frost so eagerly.
That being said, next year we'll get too much rain!
Pat

In today's mail was a letter from the township I live in - Tewkesbury - urging residents whether they get their water from wells or a municipal water service to start to conserve.

I applaud the township committee for acting on this issue before wells start to run dry.

Tom I used to farm on the Warren cty side of the mountain border with Hunterdon cty. On our side the soils were very deep silt loams on your side the soils were very thin and never held as much water in reserve. Our crops in dry years always out yielded Hunterdon's. Here in Cumberland cty we had timely rains most of the summer and farms and gardens produced well though we have not seen a drop of rain in four weeks we are free to water as much as we need. The best part of this drought is our pumpkin crop is looking great, after the fruit mature we need the soil to stay as dry as possible so the fruit don't rot... Goodluck and next year invest in more mulch...Bob.