By Alabama Public Radio
Tuscaloosa AL – Drought warnings have been issued for 37 counties by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Office of Water Resources. Alabama's Drought Management Plan was activated due to dangerously low water levels for the northern portions of the state. The drought warning covers the following counties:
Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Coosa, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa and Walker.
Public and private water systems have been advised to carefully monitor conditions and prepare emergency procedures. Forest service officials have restricted the use of fire in Alabama's four national forests until July 31 because of dry conditions. The order restricts campfire, open fire and prohibits fireworks in national forest lands that lie in the following 17 counties:
Bibb, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Cleburne, Covington, Dallas, Escambia, Franklin, Hale, Lawrence, Macon, Perry, Talladega, Tuscaloosa and Winston.