0
0
0
Colorado is now nearly half-covered by extreme drought conditions — even though there was essentially no extreme drought there at the start of 2026. Now, extreme drought in Colorado is at its highest level in five years, and at its highest level for April in more than two decades.
The state is no stranger to dry years, but this year is unique for above average dryness coinciding with extreme early-season warmth, according to the University of Colorado Boulder. City officials are warning people will have to make changes, most notably, adjusting their expectations for how their lawns will look this year. Those changes could reshape the aesthetics of the region for the long haul.
To cut down, Denver has asked its restaurants to only serve water to customers by request and encouraged residents to use more efficient commercial car washes, rather than rinsing off their car with buckets in the driveway. But the main way to cut down on water use is by restricting residential outdoor watering. Thirsty lawns make up a large portion of water use in Mountain West cities; outdoor watering accounts for between 40% to 60% of Aurora water's demand, Shonnie Cline, spokesperson for Aurora Water, said. In nearby Erie — a town situated between Denver and Boulder — outdoor watering makes up between 60% to 70% of total demand.
📸 : RJ Sangosti/The /Denver Post/Getty Images
