Despite recent rainfall, residents should continue to limit water use, said Samantha Greenwood, director of public works for the city of Cordova. Persistent warm weather and the demands of local fish canneries have compelled the city to pump water out of Meals Reservoir faster than it can be replenished.
“We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re closer than we were two weeks ago,” Greenwood said. “Fishing’s slowing down … We are better, but we need to be conscientious of our water until we get back in our typical rain pattern.”
Cordova’s water tanks have been kept full through the processing of millions of gallons of lake water. On July 14 alone, 2.06 million gallons were processed, according to a city of Cordova release.
Any large hauls of fish could put additional strain on Cordova’s reservoirs as warm weather continues, Greenwood said. Accordingly, residents are asked not to wash their cars, water their lawns or to leave their hoses running needlessly.
“Just be conscientious of what’s going on, weather-wise,” Greenwood said.
