Colorado water authorities implement restrictions amid severe drought

Severe drought conditions in Colorado have led to significant water management actions in both Eagle County and the Denver region. In Eagle County, the Colorado Division of Water Resources has placed a “call” on the Eagle River. This mandate requires any water users with junior water rights to cease diversions or provide augmentation water to maintain minimum streamflows. The call aims to preserve the natural environment by ensuring the river maintains an average flow above 85 cubic feet per second.

In the Denver area, Denver Water has announced a mandatory ban on outdoor lawn watering effective October 1. This decision follows a summer of worsening drought and historically low reservoir storage. The provider reported that natural streamflows into its reservoirs were only 22% of normal, the lowest in a century. The ban will remain in place through the spring until the board of commissioners determines when it can be lifted. While most lawn watering is prohibited, exemptions exist for repairing irrigation systems, maintaining parks, and watering trees or vegetables with a handheld hose.