The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has lowered the drought status for several parts of the commonwealth but the region that includes Albemarle and Charlottesville is still under the “warning” level.
However, some localities in the eastern portion of the Middle James Region such as Richmond and Henrico County are among those that have had their status lowered to the “watch” level.
Despite recent rains, the DEQ’s drought dashboard reports that the Middle James Region is at 73.83 percent of the normal amount of precipitation for the year. There’s also concerns about groundwater levels.
Localities still under a drought warning are the counties of Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Nelson, Powhatan, Prince Edward counties and the cities of Charlottesville, and Lynchburg.
The Roanoke River is under a drought emergency and a separate dashboard has been set up to monitor many variables including how the public water supply is being used.
Before you go: The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things. Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the August 7, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.
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