As Colorado nears the final month of the 2026 water year, extreme drought is persisting across the state as many regions, including the Western Slope, continue to rack up records when it comes to heat as well as precipitation — and the lack thereof. “We continue to be way above anything that we’ve seen in the data record for Colorado,” … said Allie Mazurek, engagement climatologist at the Colorado Climate Center, at the Aug. 25 Water Conditions Monitoring meeting of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. … These climate conditions have been the driving factors for things such as dropping streamflows and reservoir levels to high evaporative demand and soil moisture deficits as drought conditions persist in 91% of the state. Seventy-seven percent is experiencing severe or worse drought. 

Other drought impact and response news:

• CBS Colorado: Denver Water could implement tighter water restrictions due to drought conditions
• The Denver Post (Colo.): Denver Water considers banning all lawn watering as dry, hot summer continues
• Westword (Denver, Colo.): Lawn enforcement: Drought restrictions bring out unprecedented behavior
• Marketplace: Podcast: The behavioral economics of drought management
• Union of Concerned Scientists: Report: Wringing the West dry: How fossil fuel companies drive water scarcity in the Western United States
• National Integrated Drought Information System: News release: California-Nevada awaits potential impacts of the strong El Niño