Snowpack cuts water supply
After a very dry winter, cities and reservoirs in the Colorado River basin are bracing for sharply reduced runoff and tighter water rules. Colorado Springs Utilities now expects roughly half the usual water from snowmelt this year, forecasts point to above‑normal heat and faster reservoir drawdown, and federal forecasts say runoff into Lake Powell could be among the lowest on record ( ).
Colorado Springs is preparing for a drought year after Utilities said this spring’s snowmelt will bring in about half the water the city normally gets. (csu.org) Colorado Springs Utilities entered its Water Shortage Preparation stage after its board approved a drought response resolution on March 18. The utility said customers may water lawns up to three days a week, before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m., as it tries to stretch supplies through 2026. (csu.org) The problem starts in the mountains, where snow works like a frozen reservoir and releases water slowly as it melts. This year, federal forecasters said the most probable unregulated inflow into Lake Powell for water year 2026 is 4.95 million acre-feet, or 52 percent of average. (usbr.gov) A separate Colorado Basin River Forecast Center update put the April-through-July inflow forecast for Lake Powell at 1.4 million acre-feet on April 2. An earlier March 1 forecast had put the same April-through-July runoff at 2.3 million acre-feet, or 36 percent of average, showing how weak the runoff outlook has remained. (cbrfc.noaa.gov; cbrfc.noaa.gov) Forecasters also expect heat to make the shortage worse by speeding evaporation and melting what snow is left faster. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said drought is forecast to expand in the West this spring, and its March 19 seasonal discussion pointed to elevated odds of above-normal temperatures. (cpc.ncep.noaa.gov; cpc.ncep.noaa.gov) That runoff matters far beyond one city because Lake Powell and Lake Mead anchor the rules that divide Colorado River water across seven states, tribal nations and Mexico. The Bureau of Reclamation released a draft environmental impact statement on January 9 for post-2026 operating rules after the basin states failed to settle a replacement plan on their own. (usbr.gov) Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said this week that a final federal plan for sharing the shrinking river could be ready by the end of April. ABC15 reported that Arizona’s future share could be affected if the new rules require deeper cuts to protect reservoir levels. (abc15.com) The strain is already showing across the basin. The Gazette reported on April 11 that cities were imposing restrictions and farmers were bracing for severe losses after a winter with record-low snowpack in parts of the West. (gazette.com) For Colorado Springs, the immediate goal is simpler than the interstate fight: use less water before the hottest months arrive. Utilities said it is tracking reservoir levels, snowpack, temperatures and customer demand daily as the city heads into summer under Water Shortage Preparation. (csu.org)
