DEQ: DROUGHT UPDATE June 25, 2026 – Much of the state has received 0.5 to 2 inches of rain during the last two weeks, which has prevented drought conditions from worsening, however, severe drought continues in many parts of Virginia, particularly where precipitation was minimal. Due to ongoing dry soils and low streamflows and groundwater levels, the Drought Monitoring Task Force (DMTF) has continued the existing drought advisory statuses for Virginia.

The DMTF considered the following information in continuing current advisories

• Streamflow conditions show some improvement in the western and northern parts of the state, but longer-term average streamflows remain below normal for this time of the year.

• Soil moisture is slightly improved in shallow soils but remains much below normal in deeper soil throughout most of the state, with the driest conditions along the Blue Ridge Mountains and along the central and eastern portions of the North Carolina-Virginia border.

• Groundwater levels in 19 of the state’s 24 monitoring wells remain below the 10th percentile for this time of the year. Long-term outlooks for groundwater levels remain a concern and will take a prolonged period of additional rainfall to recover.

• Reservoir levels across the Commonwealth were all within normal ranges, with the exception of Smith Mountain Lake, where water levels are at warning status, and the John Kerr Reservoir, where water levels are at watch status.

• Precipitation is approximately 8.5 inches below normal on average throughout the state for the water year, which began on Oct. 1, 2025.

In response to these conditions, Governor Spanberger is encouraging Virginians to conserve water during this drought.

Without continued above-normal rainfall, the drought will worsen as temperatures rise and rates of evapotranspiration increase through the summer. Worsening conditions could cause the drought advisory to be upgraded from warning to emergency status in certain localities, which could include mandatory water use restrictions. Twenty-nine community water systems already have mandatory water conservation measures in place in Caroline, Fauquier, Louisa, Powhatan, and Shenandoah counties. DEQ and the DMTF are assessing the situation and will continue to provide updates every two weeks following DMTF meetings for the duration of the drought.

Additional information on the current drought status is available on the DEQ drought webpage and Drought Dashboard, which includes interactive data on stream gages, groundwater wells, soil moisture, and precipitation.

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