This puts the Charles River and all who call it home in danger – droughts destroy important wildlife habitats, degrade water quality, and put drinking water sources at risk for communities who rely on well water. Yet, when drought hits, it's up to individual communities in Massachusetts to implement water conservation requirements, resulting in an ineffective, patchwork response to a major issue.

An Act relative to maintaining adequate water supplies through effective drought management (H. 1003 | S. 586) – refiled by Rep. Joan Meschino and Rep. Dave Rogers in the House, and by Sen. James Eldridge in the Senate – empowers the state to address drought at a regional scale, authorizing the Drought Management Task Force to declare drought severity and determine appropriate water conservation measures.

This bill needs support from as many legislators as possible to gain momentum at the State House, so ask your legislator to cosponsor H. 1003 and S. 586.