Below is an overview of recent (2024-current) drought declarations by the Basin States

New York State (NYS): Drought Watch for 8 DRB Counties in Regions II & III

New York City (NYC): Normal Conditions

• On September 24, 2025, New York expanded its September 10 drought declaration to place Region III in drought watch, which includes 2 counties in the DRB. 
  
  
  • View NYS News Release (issued 9/24/25)
    
    
• On September 10, 2025, New York expanded its August 29, 2025, drought watch to include additional counties, six of which are in the DRB.
  
  
  • View NYS News Release (issued 9/10/25)
    
    
• On January 3, 2025, New York lifted drought watch status for all counties and New York City. The entire state is now in normal conditions.
  
  
  • View NYS News Release (issued 1/3/25)
    
    
  • View NYC News Release (issued 1/3/25)
    
    
  • View information on the Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project
    
    
• On December 16, 2024, New York downgraded Regions II and IIA (incl. six counties in DRB and New York City) from a drought warning to a drought watch; the rest of the state remains in drought watch.
  
  
  • View NYS News Release (issued 12/16/24)
    
    
  • View NYC News Release (issued 12/16/24)

• On November 18, 2024, New York upgraded Regions II and IIA (incl. six counties in DRB and New York City) to a drought warning and placed the rest of the state in a drought watch. New York City paused its Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project.
  
  
  • View NYS News Release (issued 11/18/24)
    
    
  • View NYC News Release (issued 11/18/24)
    
    
  • View information on the Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project
    
    
• On November 2, 2024, New York declared a drought watch for Regions II and IIA, including six counties in the Delaware River Basin. New York City also was placed in drought watch.
  
  
  • View NYS News Release (issued 11/2/24)
    
    
  • View NYC News Release (issued 11/2/24)

New Jersey: Statewide Drought Watch 

• On October 1, 2025, the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) placed the entire state under drought watch. 
  
  
  • View News Release (issued 10/1/25)
    
    
• On June 11, 2025, NJDEP updated its Nov. 2024 statewide drought warning declaration. Most counties are now in normal conditions, with the southern coastal counties in drought watch.
  
  
  • View News Release (issued 6/11/25)
    
    
• On November 13, 2024, NJDEP updated its Oct. 2024 statewide drought watch declaration to a statewide drought warning.
  
  
  • View News Release (issued 11/13/24)
    
    
• New Jersey Drought Watch: On October 17, 2024, NJDEP declared a drought watch for all N.J. counties.
  
  
  • View News Release (issued 10/17/24)
    

Pennsylvania: Drought Watch for Schuylkill County, Normal Conditions for other DRB Counties

• After a September 29, 2025, meeting of its Drought Task Force, Pennsylvania placed 25 counties in drought watch, including Schuylkill County in the DRB.
  
  
• After a July 2, 2025, meeting of its Drought Task Force, Pennsylvania updated the drought status of the remaining counties in drought watch to normal. All Commonwealth counties are now in normal conditions.
  
  
  • Click here to get the updated information
    
    
• After a June 9, 2025, meeting of its Drought Task Force, Pennsylvania updated the drought status of several counties. In the Delaware River Basin, only five counties remain in drought watch: Berks (upgraded from drought warning), Lehigh, Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia.
  
  
  • Click here to get the updated information
    
    
• After an April 2, 2025, meeting of its Drought Task Force, Pennsylvania updated the drought status of several counties. In the Delaware River Basin, the thirteen counties placed in drought watch in Nov. 2024 remain in drought watch. Schuylkill County has been upgraded from drought warning to drought watch, and Berks County remains in drought warning.
  
  
  • Click here to learn more
    
    
• On November 1, 2024, Pennsylvania declared drought conditions in 35 counties. Thirty-three counties - including 13 in the Delaware River Basin - are in drought watch. Two counties - Berks and Schuylkill, both in the DRB - are in drought warning. Two DRB counties - Wayne and Lackawanna - are in normal conditions.
  
  
  • View News Release (issued 11/1/24)

Delaware: Normal Conditions

• On August 18, 2025, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer lifted Delaware's drought watch, based on guidance from the State’s Water Supply Coordinating Council (WSCC) and the Governor’s Drought Response Committee.
  
  
  • View News Release (issued 8/18/25)
    
    
• On October 25, 2024, Delaware Governor John Carney issued a Drought Watch for the state of Delaware on the recommendation of the Delaware Water Supply Coordinating Council (WSCC). DRBC is a member of the WSCC & voted in favor of issuing the drought watch.
  
  
  • View News Release (issued 10/25/24)

Note about Basin State Drought Plans vs. DRBC Drought Plan

• The DRBC's drought operating plan, which is designed for managing regional storage, complements the plans of the states, which respond to local water supply conditions.
  
  
• State drought plans consider factors such as precipitation amounts, soil moisture, streamflows, groundwater levels and local reservoir storage.
  
  

Learn more about Basin State Drought Operations via the links below.

• Department of Environmental Conservation: Current Drought Conditions
  
  
• Department of Environmental Conservation: Drought Info Page
  
  
• USGS New York Water Science Center
  
  
• USGS Real-Time Water Data for New York
  
  
• USGS Groundwater Data for New York
  
  
• New York City Department of Environmental Protection Water Conservation Page

• New Jersey Drought Information (NJ Drought Hotline: 1-800-4-ITS-DRY or 1-800-448-7379)
  
  
• Department of Environmental Protection Division of Water Supply and Geoscience 
  
  
• USGS New Jersey Water Science Center
  
  
• USGS Real-Time Water Data for New Jersey
  
  
• USGS Groundwater Data for New Jersey

• Department of Environmental Protection Drought Information
  
  
• USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center
  
  
• USGS Pennsylvania Drought Monitoring
  
  
• USGS Real-Time Water Data for Pennsylvania
  
  
• USGS Groundwater Data for Pennsylvania

• Delaware Climate Office: Drought in Delaware
  
  
• Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control - Division of Water
  
  
• Delaware Geological Survey: Delaware Water Conditions
  
  
• USGS Water Science Center for Delaware, Maryland, and D.C.
  
  
• USGS Real-Time Water Data for Delaware
  
  
• USGS Groundwater Data for Delaware
  
  
• Water Resources Center at the University of Delaware