Colorado’s snowpack is at a record low, and the longer that continues, the harder it will be to make up the deficit before the end of winter, water managers say.
Each year, the accumulation of snow in Colorado’s mountains helps supply Coloradans and millions of people in 19 downstream states with vital water for homes, businesses, farms and more. This year, the state has about 58% of its normal snowpack — the lowest on record for this time of year. Water experts are scoping out valleys and mountaintops, noting the lack of snowpack at low elevations and sparse supply up high.
There’s a lot of winter left, they say, but at this point, the state would need some mega snowstorms to reach an average supply by the time water starts melting off the mountains.
“If you’re looking at weather forecasts, we would need a 4-foot snowstorm to make up the deficit we’re in right now,” said Nathan Elder, manager of water supply for Denver Water, the state’s oldest and largest water provider. “Sometimes those happen in Colorado, but there’s no guarantees.”
In southwestern Colorado, McPhee Reservoir is heading into the summer with little water stored. Far to the north, the river basins are the best in the state. The “best of the worst,” local water managers say. In both places, water users — like communities, farmers and industries — might end up tightening their water belts this summer if conditions don’t turn around.
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