ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul has issued a drought watch for over 20 New York counties after consulting with the State Drought Management Task Force and federal partner agencies.

The State of New York is encouraging residents in affected counties, especially those who are dependent on private groundwater wells, to conserve water when possible during the coming weeks.

"Even with some recent rain, it wasn’t enough to reduce the dry conditions we’ve seen most of the summer this year," Governor Hochul said in a statement. "In order to prevent a more severe shortage should conditions worsen, we could see local water restrictions in the Long Island, Adirondack, and Great Lakes regions of the state.”

A watch is the first of four levels of drought advisories — watch, warning, emergency, and

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