An aerial photo showing the low water level at Sullivan’s Pond in Dartmouth on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. Photo by Tim Krochak /THE CHRONICLE HERALDArticle contentPeople have been tossing the word drought out in conversation across Nova Scotia, and that’s exactly what most of the province is dealing with.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentIn a recent interview, Environment and Climate Change Canada agroclimate specialist Trevor Hadwen said that at the end of July, the drought map for the province showed the area from the Annapolis Valley through the middle of Nova Scotia was showing moderate to severe drought conditions.Article contentArticle contentArticle content“Our drought assessments are based on the statistical probability of occurrence,” Hadwen said.Article content“When we’re looking at drought, we’re looking at Halifax’s climate over the long term, at least 30 years, and comparing that to the current year.”Article contentHe said what is being seen in Nova Scotia happens every 10 to 20 years depending on where you are.Article content“It’s not necessarily abnormal and certainly not unprecedented, but what we are seeing is a significant timing issue.”Article contentHadwen said the drought is happening during a critical period for agriculture and the highest risk time for extreme forest fires conditions.Article content“We’re drying out during an inopportune time, and it’s causing a lot of impacts,” he said.Article contentThe longer the lack of significant rain goes on, the worse the conditions become and the harder it is to recover quickly and reduce the intensity of the drought, Hadwen said.Article contentArticle content“When we talk about drought, we’re always talking about ongoing conditions, so the conditions we were seeing at the end of July were moderate and severe drought, but (in the two weeks after that) Nova Scotia and much of the Maritimes did not receive any rainfall,” Hadwen said.Article contentThe severity has increased since the end of July in much of the Annapolis Valley and northern Nova Scotia where a lot of the province’s agricultural land is found.Article contentHadwen said drought “is a slow-onset disaster, and drought is a slow-recovery disaster as well. One rainfall is not going to make much of a difference.”Article contentHe said rainfall can reduce fire danger quickly, “but when we’re looking at soil moisture and the penetration (of rain) reestablishing that soil moisture at depth … that’s going to take some time.”Article contentHe said ponds are drying up and surface water supplies have been reduced, “and that takes some time to recover.”
Were drying out during an inopportune time significant part of Nova Scotia in severe drought
