Front Royal mandates water conservation

As drought conditions worsen in the area, Front Royal is mandating residents and businesses conserve water with fines possible for anyone violating the conservation measures.

Front Royal officials reported Wednesday that the daily flow rate of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River dropped below 340 cubic feet per second or approximately 220 million gallons per day, according to an announcement from Town Manager Joseph Waltz.

Front Royal’s permit to withdraw water from the river, issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, requires that the town implement conservation measures at certain flow rates.

Anyone who violates any of the mandatory water conservation activities can face a fine of up to $1,000 per offense, Waltz advised. The town also can punish each day that a violation occurs as a separate offense.

During the mandatory water conservation period, Front Royal prohibits:

• Watering shrubs, trees, lawns, grass, plants, or any other vegetation with town water supplies between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., except indoor plantings, greenhouse and commercial nursery stocks, and new plantings less than one year old.

• Washing automobiles, trucks, trailers, boats, airplanes or other types of mobile equipment, except in a commercial vehicle wash facility.

• Washing private streets, driveways, parking lots, service station grounds or other paved outdoor surfaces.

• Operating ornamental fountains unless they recycle their water. Municipal ornamental fountains shall be cleaned and closed within two days of the mandatory restriction declaration.

• Filling swimming and/or wading pools, except to top off to maintain appropriate levels for use.

The town requests users practice other conservation measures by:

• Serving drinking water in restaurants only upon patron request.

• Operating only fully loaded dishwashers and clothes washing machines.

• Taking short showers instead of baths.

• Turning off the tap while shaving or brushing teeth.

• Using two basins when washing dishes by hand, one for washing and one for rinsing, rather than letting the tap run.

• Reducing all non-essential water usage.

• Repairing or replacing all water fixtures with reduced flow fixtures.

Parts of the northern Shenandoah Valley are behind normal averages of rainfall this year. Measurements taken at Winchester’s water treatment plant several days ago showed the area has received 17.38 inches of rain in 2023. That’s 68% of the 25.55 inches the area typically receives through mid-August, records show.

The Shenandoah River, which is 56 miles long and includes two forks, is a major tributary in the region and a primary source of water for the region.

Gauges positioned at various locations on the river’s North Fork illustrate that the river has run low recently. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, gauge height on Saturday showed 2.25 feet in Mount Jackson and 1.59 feet near Strasburg. The gauge height at Front Royal, located on the river’s South Fork, was 1.05 feet that day.

“This is some of the lowest water I’ve seen in the North Fork (of the Shenandoah River) in my four years as executive director and for a more sustained period this summer than most summers,” said David Brotman, executive director of the Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.

Brotman explained low water levels cause the river to warm because the sun has less water to heat — which can spur algal blooms. The Friends of the North Fork of Shenandoah River, based in Woodstock, operates an algae watch program, and reports of nuisance algae are rolling in. This impacts the river’s ecosystem as more algae in the water can create less oxygen for fish and aquatic insects.

“We’re hearing lots and lots of reports of algae and seeing it for ourselves. One of the categories is nuisance algae, which is the filamentous algae that makes it difficult to paddle a canoe or kayak,” Brotman said. “So far this year, nuisance algae has been rampant in the North Fork.”

Front Royal’s water usage measures are the most restrictive, so far, in the region, but it is not the only locality to call for conservation measures.

Low levels in the North Fork of the Shenandoah River last week led the town of Strasburg to declare a drought emergency and implement mandatory conservation measures.

Town Manager J. Waverly Coggsdale III said in an email last week that Strasburg has declared drought watches and warnings in the past, but no emergencies in recent years. Voluntary conservation measures recommended during drought watches and warnings become mandatory during a drought emergency.

On Tuesday, the city of Winchester issued a “drought watch,” and Clarke County officials are asking for voluntary water conservation as some parts of the county are experiencing a drought and others are unusually dry.

Winchester Star reporter Cormac Dodd contributed to this story.

– Contact Alex Bridges at [email protected]

Log In

We will consider two submissions per writer per month. Letters: 250or fewer words. Commentaries: Under 500 words. You may submit aphoto with a Commentary if you like. Email submissions [email protected].

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.

Manage your newsletter subscriptions in your user dashboard.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

Most read stories from the week; delivered Saturday morning.

Have the latest local news delivered every morning, Monday through Friday.

We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen.

A weekly roundup of local sports, delivered Saturday morning.

Get our expert short-term forecast, summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather. Delivered every morning.