Governor Mark Sanford called for South Carolinians to conserve water on their own before the state is forced to require such actions following his tour of Pickens this week.
Sanford has asked that all, but two of South Carolina's counties be declared federal disaster areas. The Governor's Office says a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer states more than 30 percent of this year's harvest of corn, hay and pasture crops have already been lost because of the drought.
The state Drought Response Committee has placed 14 counties in the Upstate in extreme drought status. Many water systems have issued both voluntary and mandatory water restrictions to their customers.
"Whether or not you're being impacted right now with any restrictions, it's important for people to know that this drought situation is very real and that folks in the Upstate, particularly farmers, are hurting right now," Gov. Sanford said in a written release. "To that end, I'd again urge all South Carolinians - particularly those in the Upstate - to take individual initiative to conserve water. I can't emphasize enough the importance of doing so now if we want to avoid restrictions later on."
Water saving tips are available from the Department of Natural Resources by clicking here
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