Facilities adjusts operations as New Jersey drought continues

The unusually mild fall weather seen recently has been a side effect of the worst drought on record for New Jersey. With only 0.84 inches of rainfall in the past month, the state is experiencing wildfires for the first time in decades. In response to these conditions, the University has adjusted its reseeding schedules and canceled firework events.

As of Sept. 15, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service had already responded to 334 separate wildfires in the state. So far, the fires have largely been concentrated in southern New Jersey. University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian that the Department of Public Safety is “monitoring the situation closely and following the NJ State Forest Fire Service guidelines.”

Although no mandatory water use restrictions have been put in place thus far, Governor Phil Murphy’s office did declare a drought watch on October 17, and “strongly urg[ed] residents and businesses to voluntarily conserve water as persistent dry and warmer-than-average conditions continue to stress the state’s water supplies.” The last mandatory water use restrictions in New Jersey were put in place in 2002, which was the last time the state faced significantly lower reservoir and river water levels.

While Princeton’s water usage data for the drought period will not be available until the end of November, Morrill said the school’s average water usage was 10 percent lower for September 2024 than it was in September 2023, despite an increase in campus size — indicating that Princeton may be conserving water even without the imposition of drought restrictions.

Morrill also wrote that “Facilities monitors conditions and plans operations accordingly. During declared drought emergencies, Facilities complies with state and local restrictions.” She added that 90 percent of campus grounds are not irrigated, so plants will respond by becoming dormant as they normally would during the fall. Reseeding and fertilization schedules are being adjusted, as the facilities team will not do any planting without signs of rain.

The last time a New Jersey drought impacted campus activities meaningfully was in 1963, when the bonfire tradition for beating Harvard and Yale in football was canceled due to an executive order from the mayor's office.

This year, the fireworks planned for the Princeton vs. Cornell homecoming game on Saturday, Nov. 2 were canceled due to the drought conditions. Morrill warned community members to “take care to discard smoking material properly during this time.”

Hallie Graham is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince’ from Nashville, Tenn.