Athens is still facing a drought, even though July brought almost daily thunderstorms, but the city is in decent shape if heavy rains don't continue.

An above-average 5.3 inches of rain fell on Athens in July, closing the rain deficit for the year to less than eight inches. The North and Middle Oconee rivers are high enough that Athens-Clarke County can draw water from them, rather than its emergency supply, Bear Creek Reservoir. "I think we're doing good," Athens-Clarke Public Utilities Director Gary Duck says. "Obviously, the further we can move into the summer, stay on the rivers, the better off we'll be."

Bear Creek's level rose almost two feet last month as managers were able to pump in water, but it's still more than a foot below full. "The rains came at a good time," says Hill Baughman of Jacobs Engineering, the private firm that operates the reservoir. Conservation measures remain in effect—Athens residents can generally only water one day per week. The full set of rules is at www.thinkatthesink.com. The drought restrictions are saving about 10–15 percent of Athens' water use compared to last year, Duck says.

Georgia's drought is improving, according to the National Weather Service, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture still classifies Athens' drought as "extreme," the second-worst category. Stream flows are below normal, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and the soil is drier than usual, so rain tends to soak straight into the ground before running into rivers and streams. "I don't think we've seen much in terms of runoff because the soil's so dry," says Pam Knox, a University of Georgia climatologist. "With temperatures this hot, almost all the rain evaporates."