Photo courtesy of Texas Water Development BoardThe recent rain in North Texas helped to quell the some of the drought conditions across the area.
According to the Texas Water Development Board, 35 percent of the state is considered to be in a drought—down one percent from the previous week and five percent from three months ago. One year ago 66 percent of the state was considered to be in a drought.
Tarrant County is considered to be in an extreme drought, which is the highest classification on the U.S. Drought Monitor's scale of 0-4. The western portion of Dallas County is also in an extreme drought; the eastern portion is in a severe drought. As late as February, Tarrant County was considered to be in an exceptional drought.
The water level in Lake Grapevine is also showing signs of improvement. As of April 21, the lake elevation was 74.6 percent full or 528.12 feet above sea level. The lake is considered full at 535 feet above sea level, so it is down by 6.88 feet. On Jan. 21 it was 12.37 feet below normal.
