There's no significant rain heading toward Charlotte anytime soon, and that concerns water management officials.

Sally Cooper is having her grandchildren over to look for Easter eggs this weekend, and she's on the hunt for more outdoor plants

“I've always maintained that you don't water often; you water well,” she said, adding that she keeps the possibility of a drought in mind.

City leaders hope more people start thinking like Cooper.

Duke Energy spokesperson Erin Culbert said the lake levels are fine now, but stream flow is low and making them uneasy.

“This is the time of year when we typically receive a lot of rainfall and because we are behind in average stream flows and rain, this is the time to pay attention,” Culbert said.

Experts said it would probably take a lot of time before getting to any kind of talk about water restrictions or any of the restrictions the area has seen in years past. But the way the weather pattern is going, the time to take the baby steps is now.

That starts by looking for more drought-resistant plants, like orchids and begonias. And maybe easing up a little bit on watering.

Cooper is starting that now. But if the dry days keep coming, she knows there is no magic solution.

“It's always a challenge,” she said. “I really don't have an answer for it.”

More information:
Drought management