100% of the state of Colorado is in drought. It’s the middle of winter and this kind of thing is extraordinarily unusual. The southwestern areas are in extreme drought, the worst category. These areas are reporting between 39-1% of normal snowpack. This is a serious condition because water is something we all (humans and every other form of life) rely on. It's also something we can all do something about.
In light of this situation the state of Colorado took an action its only done once before (in the summer), and activated what they call the Municipal Drought Response in December 2020. Normally cities don't make decisions about water restrictions until spring but even if we do manage to make it to a normal snowpack during the rest of this winter, we will still be in drought when the spring of 2021 arrives.
All indoor appliances now come with water saving options and upgrading when it's time to replace things like dishwashers and toilets is a major way to be water wise. We did an informal poll of friends and family and found that the most common water saving action in winter was taking fewer showers. It turns out this is also a big way to save water! By taking shorter showers or reducing the number you take per week we can collectively save hundreds of acre feet of water. Water that is then available for crops and wildlife, fish and river play when our hot dry summer rolls around.
CITATIONS & STUDIES:
50 Ways to Conserve Water Special thanks to the Canary Committee!
Dry Streak Continues in Colorado, Out there Colorado
National Weather Service, La Nina Information
