Exceptional drought is expected to occur once every 50 years, Schumacher said. So far this summer, the afternoon monsoon rains that provide relief have been largely absent from the Western Slope.<\/p>\n
The higher-than-normal temperatures and a lack of rain have sapped the rivers in the Western half of Colorado. Streamflows statewide are at only half of the median recorded between 1991 and 2020, according to National Water and Climate Center data<\/a>.<\/p>\n The lack of water has limited fishing and rafting opportunities, reduced agricultural irrigation and threatened river environments.<\/p>\n For the Western Slope\u2019s water managers, low streamflows mean weekly calls and intense coordination to ensure the water that is available is allocated efficiently and with maximum benefit.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a tricky year to coordinate and make sure people have the water they need, because there\u2019s really not enough to go around,\u201d said Sam Calahan, a water resources data specialist for the Colorado River District<\/a>.<\/p>\n Drought across the state<\/p>\n Nearly half of Colorado is experiencing some level of drought, according to new data released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor<\/a>. More than 1.4 million people live in that drought-impacted area, which encompasses the entire western half of the state, parts of metro Denver and some areas of southern Colorado.<\/p>\n Drought reigns despite near-normal winter snowpack levels across much of the state earlier this year. That\u2019s due to a warm end to winter, followed by an unusually dry and warm spring and summer, Schumacher said.<\/p>\n When afternoon storms have occurred, they\u2019ve largely been dry storms \u2014 with lightning but no rain.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just been dry, dry, dry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The lightning storms have sparked five wildfires that are burning on the Western Slope<\/a>, consuming hundreds of square miles and destroying five homes.<\/p>\n Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration compiled by Climate Central<\/a> show that average summer temperatures in Colorado have risen between 2 and 4 degrees since 1970. The Western Slope has seen the greatest warming, according to the data.<\/p>\n Those warmer temperatures \u2014 fueled in part by greenhouse gases from human development \u2014 make the air drier, which then pulls more water from soils, rivers and plants, Schumacher said. Drier plants make more combustible fuel for wildfires.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes what would\u2019ve been a drought anyway and makes it worse,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Low, low river flows<\/p>\n This summer has been one of the driest on record for the state\u2019s critical Colorado River basin, similar to 2018 and 2021, said Calahan of the Colorado River District. Drought in those years made the Colorado River look more like a creek than a river and prompted a 120-mile-long fishing ban<\/a> on its mainstem.<\/p>\n \u201c(This year) is not record bad, but it\u2019s pretty close and pretty dire,\u201d Calahan said.<\/p>\n Streamflow in the basin is worst on its western flank and best on its eastern side near the headwaters, he said. Much of the water near the headwaters, however, is diverted under the Continental Divide to Front Range communities.<\/p>\n The district is speaking weekly with irrigators across the region to best divvy up the water that remains. Low flows are being supplemented by releases from reservoirs.<\/p>\n While most of the reservoirs used by Front Range water providers filled up during the spring runoff, those used by the Western Slope were more of mixed bag, Calahan said.<\/p>\n Green Mountain Reservoir<\/a> \u2014 on the Blue River southeast of Kremmling \u2014 did not fill, and the river district will now send water from its upstream Wolford Mountain Reservoir<\/a> to supplement Green Mountain.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we have another year like this next year, and Wolford gets drawn down farther, then we\u2019re in a precarious spot,\u201d Calahan said.<\/p>\n A lack of water in the Eagle River near Vail prompted local water authorities to warn of a potential coming water shortage. Flows on the river near Avon were about half of normal \u2014 and the third-lowest recorded on the stream gauge\u2019s 26-year record, said Siri Roman, the general manager of the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District<\/a>.<\/p>\n District leadership urged people in the district \u2014 which includes Vail, Avon and eastern Eagle County \u2014 to use less water, especially outdoors.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d rather see that water in the river than on your lawns,\u201d Roman said.<\/p>\n Thirteen of the 14 stream gauges with historic data in the Upper San Juan basin were reporting flows below or extremely below normal on Wednesday. The Animas River in Durango<\/a> was flowing at 153 cubic feet per second \u2014 a fraction of the median of 499 cfs for the day across 113 years of data, and close to the historic low for that date of 137 cfs.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can look at it and just see how much of the streambed is out of the water and see some of the gravel bars,\u201d said Steve Wolff, the general manager of the Southwestern Water Conservation District<\/a>.<\/p>\n Several stream gauges in the basin were recording record daily lows, like the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs and on Vallecito Creek.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in this long, dry period, and it has impacted everyone in this community,\u201d Wolff said.<\/p>\n On the opposite side of the state, the Yampa River basin, too, is struggling. The river above Stagecoach Reservoir was flowing at less than half of the 36-year median.<\/p>\n Low flows forced Steamboat Springs officials on Thursday<\/a> to close the section of river that flows through town to all recreation indefinitely, including for commercial operations, tubing, swimming and fishing. Warm water stresses fish populations, and officials hope to lessen the toll on aquatic life by keeping people out of the river.<\/p>\n The lack of water also prompted state water managers in late July to mandate that people with more junior water rights use less water from the river system<\/a>. The main stem of the Yampa River below Stagecoach Reservoir has been placed on call only four times: 2018, 2020, 2021 and this year.<\/p>\n A lack of rain and hot temperatures meant everything in the basin happened about a month early, said Holly Kirkpatrick, the public information officer for the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District<\/a>. High flows from mountain runoff dropped in May, instead of June, and water temperatures started to spike in June, instead of July.<\/p>\n In dry years, the district releases water from Stagecoach Reservoir to keep enough water in the river for environmental health. The district began those releases this year on June 27 \u2014 the earliest ever \u2014 and may deplete the amount of water available for environmental releases by mid-September.<\/p>\n \u201cFor probably the first time, we\u2019re looking at not having enough water to support the health of the river for the rest of the season,\u201d Kirkpatrick said.<\/p>\n The outlook for the fall across Colorado is much of the same \u2014 drier and warmer than usual, Schumacher said.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a sliver of hope, however, for the return of monsoon conditions at the end of August \u2014 or at least some cloud cover.<\/p>\n \u201cIt won\u2019t be a drought-busting rainstorm, but at least some more humidity and some clouds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TDP-Z-DroughtMap-01.jpg\")
A map released Aug. 14, 2025, by the U.S. Drought Monitor shows drought conditions across Colorado. (U.S. Drought Monitor)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TDP-L-LEE-FIRE_JAC9143.jpg\")
A curious buck looks up amid scorched ground in Rio Blanco County just outside of Meeker on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross\/The Denver Post)
\nYampa River basin struggles, too<\/p>\n