Federal officials have placed Maryland under a “drought disaster” designation. But that doesn’t mean the state is experiencing a water shortage — at least not yet.
It can sound confusing, Samantha Borisoff, a climatologist for the Northeast Regional Climate Center, said. There are “a lot of nuances” when it comes to drought, and different departments — say, agriculture and environmental officials — use different parameters and thresholds when issuing guidance to the public.
Still, Marylanders should use water wisely because rainfall has been below average and groundwater levels are below normal.
Here’s how drought conditions could impact Maryland.
What it means for agriculture
Most of the state is experiencing moderate or severe drought conditions, according to the Department of Agriculture, which takes many indicators into account. Precipitation, soil moisture and groundwater levels are only a few pieces of the puzzle, Borisoff said.
The Department of Agriculture monitors droughts to issue disaster declarations and loan eligibility — which is what officials did April 17 after designating disaster status to nine Maryland counties. Allegany, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s and Washington counties are eligible for assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency.
As of April 23, about 46% of the state — including much of the Eastern Shore and Southern and Central Maryland — was seeing severe drought, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. That means likely crop or pasture losses and water restrictions that could cause fish kills, said Rachel Felver, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
About 45% of the state is seeing moderate drought. Other parts are abnormally dry, which could indicate early stages of drought.
The state Department of Agriculture is expecting drought to impact all crops, from corn and hay to grapes and fruit trees, Felver said.
What it means for drinking water
Although the Maryland Department of the Environment issued a drought warning for much of the state, drinking water supplies are sufficient, said Greg Busch, manager of the state’s Water Supply Program.
Baltimore’s reservoirs, which serve 1.8 million people in Central Maryland, are not seeing any impacts from the drought.
Still, the department is encouraging Marylanders in central and western counties to use water wisely. If the lack of rainfall persists through the end of the summer, public water systems could issue voluntary water conservation measures, Busch said.
Local water systems could issue mandatory water conservation measures if the drought becomes more severe. Restrictions are rarely issued on a state level, Busch said.
The state is monitoring conditions and updating the public every two weeks, he said.
What this means long term
Maryland has been dealing with short-term and long-term drought, said Andrew Snyder, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Baltimore-Washington office. The region has been drier than normal for three years, he said.
Precipitation in the Baltimore region has fallen below normal since 2023, he said, with rainfall dropping from a historic average of 45 inches to 35.97 inches in 2025. Summertime could see more rain, but it would take “a long time” for the state to overcome the drought, Snyder said.
Drought in parts of the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland could become extreme in the summer, according to estimates by NIDIS. Drought could reach the worst level in parts of Calvert County.
It would take multiple rounds of soaking rain to help the soil regain moisture, Borisoff said. Streams and waterways would bounce back relatively fast, but it takes longer for groundwater.
“What we are seeing now is a continuation of fall drought conditions that is being exacerbated by the warm, dry conditions that we’ve seen this spring,” Borisoff said. It doesn’t help that plants use more water during springtime, she added.
“So we’ve got quite a bit to dig out of,” she said.
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