Colorado towns enact Stage 1 water restrictions as drought forecast looks grim
Stage 1 water restrictions are in place for Denver and Arvada as snowpack levels in both basins are now the lowest observed in the past 40 years.
Colorado drought conditions as of March 25, 2026.
A dry winter and dwindling snowpack are raising concerns across Colorado, where water managers warn that restrictions may be needed if conditions do not improve heading into spring and summer.
Large portions of the state are experiencing moderate to severe drought, with some areas slipping into extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The lack of consistent snowfall during the winter has limited runoff expectations, a critical source of water supply for reservoirs across the region, according to state water officials and climatologists.
Communities along the Front Range of Colorado are already taking action or preparing to act.
Thornton has implemented Stage 1 drought restrictions, limiting outdoor watering as officials respond to unusually dry conditions, according to city officials and local reports.
Denver's Board of Water Commissioners declared a Stage 1 drought on March 25, seeking a 20% reduction in water use. City officials said this is the fifth time since 2000 that Denver Water has issued a Stage 1 drought, with the last happening in 2013. Nearby Arvada, which receives most of its water from Denver Water, is also following the water shortage restrictions.
Water restrictions impacting car wash, restaurant businesses
FILE PHOTO: Employees push cars through at Water Works on July 11, 2017 as customers drop them off to get washed. Water Works has signs posted throughout the store about saving water, which recycles a percentage of its water. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Restaurants in Denver and Arvada are being asked to serve water to their guests only upon request. Water restrictions are impacting other businesses including car washes and construction companies. Commercial car washes without water-saving certifications must close three days per week, according to the city of Arvada.
Stage 1 restrictions typically focus on conservation, such as limiting lawn watering to specific days or times and encouraging residents to reduce outdoor water use, according to municipal water management guidelines across Colorado. While not as severe as later stages, they are often the first step in managing tightening water supplies.
Farther south, Colorado Springs Utilities has entered a “water shortage preparation” phase. While mandatory restrictions are not yet in place, officials are urging residents to voluntarily conserve water as a precaution, according to Colorado Springs Utilities.
Water managers say the coming weeks will be critical. Spring storms can still boost mountain snowpack, but without meaningful improvement, conditions could worsen quickly as warmer air increases evaporation and demand rises, according to state climatologists and water resource managers.
'Unprecedented' Snowpack levels driving drought conditions
The timing is especially important because Colorado’s water system depends heavily on snowmelt. A below-average snowpack can lead to reduced streamflow and lower reservoir levels during the hottest months of the year, according to the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
“The snowpack within Denver Water’s collection system has deteriorated significantly and continues to decline,” Nathan Elder, Denver Water’s manager of water supply, said in a statement. “Snowpack levels in both basins are now the lowest observed in the past 40 years, with accelerated melting underway. The conditions we are experiencing are unprecedented, and we need customers to save water to protect the supply we have right now.”
A skier passes by an area of low snow coverage at Vail Ski Resort as temperatures reach into the 50s on March 18, 2026 in Vail, Colorado. A heat wave is expected to bring record breaking weather to much of Colorado as areas along the Front Range prepare for temperatures to soar into the upper 80s and 90s later this week. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
If drought conditions persist or intensify, more communities could adopt restrictions later this spring or summer, potentially expanding limits on outdoor watering and other nonessential water use, according to local and state water agencies.
Officials across the state are encouraging residents to take early steps to conserve water, noting that even small reductions in use can help extend limited supplies during prolonged dry periods, according to municipal utilities and statewide conservation guidance.
Wild horse roundups planned this summer due to drought, fires
Wild horses roam the Sand Wash Basin wild horse management area near Maybell, Colorado, on July 22, 2025. Volunteers use darts filled with birth control to help manage the population and reduce the need for Bureau of Land Management roundups. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Drought and wildfire impacts are influencing wild horse populations in northwestern Colorado, according to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials.
A BLM spokesperson told The Colorado Sun the planned roundups of more than 1,000 wild horses this summer are in part due to the water sources for horses. Wild horse roundups are planned across four management areas in July and August, including the Sand Wash Basin Piceance-East Douglas, North
Piceance and West Douglas horse management areas, according to the BLM schedule.
“When herds grow faster than the land can support, it puts stress on public lands and on the horses,” Steven Hall, a spokesman for the federal agency, told the Sun. “Colorado is experiencing a record drought, and forage and water sources will be impacted, which will impact wild horses particularly hard.”
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