Nova Scotia·NewRivers are running low and some wells are going dry due to the ongoing drought. Now time is running short on replenishing the water table before the ground freezes this winter.The clock is ticking on replenishing the water table before the ground freezes upRyan Snoddon · CBC News · Posted: Oct 24, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 23 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesWill the drought continue into next year? The coming weeks will be keyDue to the ongoing drought, rivers across much of the Maritimes are running low and in some communities, wells are going dry. And now the clock is ticking on replenishing the water table before the ground freezes up before winter. The CBC’s Ryan Snoddon explains.Rivers are running low across much of the Maritimes due to the ongoing drought and wells are going dry in some communities. Now the clock is ticking on replenishing the water table before the ground freezes this winter.Looking back over the past six months, the precipitation deficit for most of the region is in the range of 100 to 300 millimetres. Much of the Maritimes is in a precipitation deficit of 100 to 300 millimetres since April. (Ryan Snoddon/CBC)That has put much of the Maritimes in a severe to extreme drought, with huge impacts on agriculture and of course the water table. The drought is causing serious water shortages and dry wells in parts of the Maritimes, with the lack of rainfall leading to water depletion in underground aquifers. Canadian Drought Monitor conditions as of Sept. 30. (Ryan Snoddon/CBC)Once winter settles in and the ground freezes, ice fills the holes in the soil, making it much harder for water to infiltrate and recharge the water table. We see more water running off and less absorption into the ground. So the coming weeks will be pivotal for at least starting the process of recharging our water table. However, even with some beneficial rainfall before the ground freezes, the deficit is so large that we should all be hoping for a good old-fashioned winter with lots of snow. Snow that accumulates throughout the winter season acts like a natural reservoir and while it doesn’t help at the time, as it slowly melts in the spring, it can be absorbed back into soil and recharge the water table. Melting snow is key for recharging the water table. (Shirlanne Pawley-Boyd)If Old Man Winter really delivers, the upcoming cold season could actually help with our drought recovery for the long term and into next year’s growing season. However, if the drought continues into the winter and we don’t see even the average snowfall we need, this will have even larger implications for next year’s crops and of course our water table.MORE TOP STORIES
Why the coming weeks are pivotal for the ongoing drought in the Maritimes
