Dry conditions are worsening in Chattooga County, with a portion of the county now officially classified as being in moderate drought.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor, released Thursday, September 24, and based on conditions through September 22, shows 3.1 percent of Chattooga County in D1, or moderate drought. The remainder of the county is classified as D0, or abnormally dry.

The moderate drought area covers a small section of northwestern Chattooga County on Lookout Mountain, from the Alabama state line and extending north into Walker County.

That’s a change from the previous week’s Drought Monitor, when none of Chattooga County was classified as being in moderate drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced through a partnership involving the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA and NOAA. The weekly assessment uses several indicators, including precipitation, soil moisture, streamflow and other measures, to determine drought conditions.

The latest national drought summary noted continued hot and dry conditions across portions of the South during the week leading up to the September 22 assessment, with temperatures well above normal in many areas and rainfall remaining uneven.

The worsening conditions come as Chattooga County and the rest of Georgia remain under a statewide Level 1 Drought Response.

Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division initially declared the statewide Level 1 response in April and announced in August that it would remain in effect. The declaration applies to public water systems using surface water or groundwater.

A Level 1 response focuses primarily on water conservation and public awareness. Water systems are required to provide customers with information about drought conditions and ways to conserve water.

Level 1 does not carry the more restrictive outdoor water-use requirements associated with higher drought-response levels. Under Georgia’s existing water-use rules, most outdoor water use is allowed between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is updated each week, so the extent of the moderate drought area could change depending on rainfall, temperatures and other conditions.

For now, all of Chattooga County is considered at least abnormally dry, with the northwestern corner of the county on Lookout Mountain experiencing moderate drought conditions.