No, crown rot seems to occur in my garden during the hot summer here in Texas.....water or no water, but I'm saying the leaves turn brown quicker when there is a lack of moisture. The hotter and drier things get around here, the faster the outer leaves turn brown.
I'm no expert on crown rot, but I do find Kphite (4 tsp/gallon) really seems to help. When crown rot occurs in my garden, not just the outer leaves, but all throughout the plant the leaves start turning brown and the plant just gradually fades away, unless something is done about it in time. I've only lost relatively new plants to it, not those that have become well-established.
Nancy
Q