Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media Ravena Mayor Bill Misuraca has asked the public to stop using sprinklers due to concerns over drought conditions. Misuraca made the appeal during the August 2 village board meeting, but he stopped short of issuing official restrictions on water usage. “We are not at water restrictions yet, but I would ask on a voluntary level if everyone could ease up on the sprinklers,” Misuraca said. “Hand watering is fine. If you want to wash your car or pressure wash your house, it’s all totally fine but when you plug a sprinkler in and just let it blast for 10, 12 hours, it really does a number on our water plant.” The water level at Ravena's Alcove Reservoir is lower than normal due to the reduced amount of rainfall. There was also less snow than usual this past winter, which also impacts water levels. “The Alcove is very low,” Misuraca said. “I see no need to get into the danger zone with the way this weather has been. If you could, please be cognizant that we are in August, these are the ‘dog days,’ and we are going to need to be smart about the water, so please keep that in the back of your head.” The village of Coxsackie issued a similar alert on August 9. Coxsackie Mayor Mark Evans said in a statement, “Like many other communities, our reservoir is down, with the lack of significant snowfall last winter and the current dry condition we have been in. This is a precautionary move at this time.” The state on August 16 released an updated drought watch because of dry conditions. Albany, Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, and Ulster are included in the list of counties being asked to conserve water. Read the full story at TheUpStater [dot] com.