The drought of 2007-2008 has receded, thanks to heavy spring rains, and most local communities have relaxed or dropped their water restrictions.

But Triangle water managers are beginning to warn that this summer could bring a reprise of last year's widespread shortages.

Because of the past five days' record heat and a lack of recent rain, the creeks and rivers that feed local lakes are drying up.

"This heat's taking a toll," said Tony Young, a water control manager at the Army Corps of Engineers, which operates Falls and Jordan lakes. "Everything's drying off."

Inflows, as they're called, are lower so far this month than they were at the same time last year.

That's a bad sign for Falls, Jordan and other lakes that refilled this spring but will start falling soon without heavy rain.

The amount of water streaming into Falls Lake, for example, is about one-fifth of the normal amount for this time of year. Jordan isn't faring much better.

"If you include stream flows, it looks like we're in worse shape now heading into summer than we were last year," said Mick Noland, Fayetteville's water resources chief. His city draws water from the Cape Fear River downstream of Jordan Lake.

Triangle water managers are keeping a close eye on lake levels and weather forecasts.

"We're watching cautiously," said Leila Goodwin, Cary's water resources manager. "We're concerned about the high temperatures, the lack of rainfall and seeing inflows dropping so fast. It looks like the rainfall outlook is better than last year. We will see."

The other good news is that the spring rains and more conservative reservoir management have left lake levels a bit higher than this time last year -- half a foot higher at Falls, which supplies water to Raleigh and six other Wake County towns.

"From a lake-level standpoint, we're a little better off than we were last year," Young said.

Raleigh's water use has risen steadily amid the heat, peaking Saturday at 59.1 million gallons -- about 50 percent higher than on a typical winter day.

Even so, Raleigh's water demand is almost one-quarter lower than at the same time last year -- indicating that water conservation practices have taken hold since then, city officials say.

"Folks are still conserving, although clearly usage has gone up," said Dale Crisp, Raleigh's public utilities director.

The vexing paradox water managers face is that public water demand for lawn irrigation surges during hot, dry periods when conservation is most needed.

"This time of year, everybody tries to get things to grow despite the heat," Noland said. "Maybe if it gets burned out in July, they'll back off their water use."

Many places hereabouts, that already seems to have happened.

"My wife and I were actually just talking to our hairdresser about this, and we've definitely noticed an increased awareness in the neighborhood of conservation of natural resources in general," said environmental scientist Robert Fisher, 63, a resident of North Raleigh's heavily irrigated Falls River subdivision.

"Everyone is being more careful nowadays," Fisher said. "It may be because they outlawed watering altogether a few months ago. I think that got everyone pretty worried."

Agust'n Ramos, who tends the lawns and gardens of local residents, said his clients have cut back since Raleigh resumed permitting lawn watering on certain days. Some have asked him to come only on the designated days.

Another difference, Ramos said, is that yards in Falls River aren't as green as in years past.

As drought responses go, that's considered a good sign.