Last Wednesday, Feb. 27, the Wrangell officials declared a Stage 1 water watch. The water watch is a part of Wrangell’s code of ordinances, under the water shortage management plan. The plan requires that the city inform the public when they need to start being conscious of how much water they use. With low water levels in Tyee Lake, where the communities of Wrangell and Petersburg normally receive their hydropower from, conservation is now necessary.

“Conservation efforts are expected to help prevent further water shortage issues. This conservation approach is part of our efforts to a...