When Denver Water looked back at the historically abysmal snowpack, and ahead to a historically scorching summer, the crucial agency for 1.5 million Coloradans set a target of 20% water use cuts to help solve challenges from the ongoing drought.  It’s not working. At roughly the midpoint of the high season for lawn watering, which accounts for about half of Denver Water home use, customers have cut only about 2% of the five-year system average. Officials fear that after a weekend of 100-degree temps forecast for the Front Range, they’ll see even worse results as customers reel from a searing streak of daily highs and defend their lawns with amped irrigation. 

Other drought impact and response news:

• Denverite (Colo.): Denver and Aurora aren’t hitting their water goals — but they’re not panicking either
• NBC7 (Denver, Colo.): Golden’s stricter Stage 1 drought restrictions begin as Clear Creek sees record low flows