Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday issued a statewide drought emergency declaration, potentially freeing up additional state funding for the state’s response to record-low snowpack and prolonged warm temperatures across Colorado.
Colorado’s snowpack peaked in early March about a month earlier than usual and at the lowest level since 1987. Farmers, ranchers, fishing and rafting outfitters, and cities and reservoir managers are already feeling the impacts of tight water supplies this year on their wallets and water supply budgets.
Polis’ declaration follows recommendations Monday from the Colorado Drought Task Force and the Water Conditions Monitoring Committee.
“The state has been actively preparing for evolving drought conditions throughout the season,” Lauren Ris, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and member of the task force, said in a news release Thursday. “This declaration is an important step that ensures Colorado remains prepared, coordinated, and responsive as drought impacts continue to intensify across the state.”
The governor also activated phase three of the state’s drought response plan, which unlocks additional response resources. Under this phase, the highest response level, the state can ramp up its efforts to track drought impacts and reallocate resources, like the state’s emergency funding or agency funding, to address unmet needs.
Polis also has the option to request a presidential disaster declaration if the state does not have enough resources to handle drought impacts.
Since March, when a record-breaking heat wave melted most of the state’s snowpack early, farmers and ranchers have been tightening their belts. Some expect to receive half their normal water supply. In southwestern Colorado, the Ute Mountain Ute Farm and Ranch said it would have less than 14% of its normal supply.
A flash drought in southeastern Colorado contributed to wildfire conditions that led to the Sharpe fire. Ski resorts felt the pain in the winter, and rafting outfitters are already reporting concerns about low flows during peak season this summer.
Front Range water utilities like Denver Water have imposed summer watering restrictions and are pushing efforts to conserve water. The water utility, which serves about 1.5 million residents in the Denver area, also closed and drained one of its reservoirs, Antero Reservoir, in response to drought.
Some of those efforts are off to a slow start as water customers gradually start to adjust their water use.
“Use your faucet one minute less per day — that amounts to about 2 million gallons per day in our system,” Greg Fisher, manager of demand planning for Denver Water, said Monday during a state-organized drought tour. “It really adds up even though it seems small.”
Huge swaths of the West and Southeast are experiencing drought this year. That includes nearly all of Colorado’s counties. About 93% of the state was experiencing some level of drought as of Tuesday, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Colorado’s annual snowmelt feeds rivers that run in all directions and provide water to nearly 20 downstream states and parts of Mexico. Those regions, like the Colorado River Basin, are also experiencing drought and scrambling to manage reservoirs receiving trickles of water, like Lake Powell. Utah, another state in the basin, declared a drought emergency in late May.
The state’s summer outlook includes active monsoon storms and a super El Niño, both of which could offer some relief to the parched landscape. Experts warn that the hoped-for summer rains won’t refill Colorado’s reservoirs — they don’t provide nearly as much water as the annual buildup of snow in Colorado’s mountains.
Phase two of Colorado’s drought response plan, activated in March, formally convened the statewide Drought Task Force.
Under phase three, any requests for additional support or funding must be tied to specific needs and response actions, and will be evaluated by the task force, the state’s news release said.
“State agencies will do their part to reduce water usage at state facilities and I strongly encourage every Coloradan to use water wisely,” Polis said in the news release.