According to the Jan. 27 update from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), 52% of the state is currently experiencing some level of drought with 30% in the Moderate Drought category, 17% in a Severe Drought, 5% in the Extreme Drought category, and 17% of Colorado is Abnormally Dry. The map featured above shows the drought conditions on Jan. 27.
Denver Water’s supply comes from the snow that falls in the Upper South Platte River Basin and the Upper Colorado River Basin — the mountainous areas of Boulder, Douglas, Grand, Jefferson, Park and Summit counties.
As of Jan. 26 the snowpack in Denver Water’s collection areas stood at 41% of normal in the South Platte watershed and 56% of normal in the Colorado River watershed. Cumulative precipitation in the Colorado River watershed was tracking at 69% of average and the South Platte River watershed was tracking at 61% of average.
The snowpack season runs to mid-to-late April, so there’s still just over a couple of months to go in the snow collection season. Mountain snowpack is critical because when the snow melts in the spring it flows down streams and replenishes Denver Water’s reservoirs.
Colorado remains at record lows in terms of snowpack at just 56 percent of median as of February 2.
Percent of median by river basin:
Yampa and White: 63
Colorado Headwaters: 54
Laramie and North Platte: 67
South Platte: 58
Gunnison: 56
Arkansas: 47
Upper Rio Grande: 50
San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan: 49
Information provided by USDA, NIDIS, and CWCB and Denver Water.