Metro Denver goes into drought mode

Denver’s biggest water provider has already declared Stage 1 drought, and that means the spring ritual of turning on sprinklers is changing before most lawns have even greened up. Denver Water says customers should keep automatic irrigation systems off until mid- to late May and cut total water use by at least 20%. (denverwater.org) The rule most homeowners will feel first is simple: lawns can be watered no more than two days a week. Denver Water says hand-watering trees and shrubs is still allowed if needed, but automatic sprinklers now sit under mandatory limits. (denverwater.org) Aurora is on the same footing. The city’s Stage 1 drought rules also cap outdoor irrigation at two days per week and ban watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when heat and wind waste the most water. (auroragov.org) Golden is moving in the same direction even before a full emergency order. The city says it is following other Front Range water providers and asking residents to prepare for a dry season by conserving water now. (cityofgolden.gov) This is happening because Colorado’s water system runs on mountain snow the way a checking account runs on direct deposit. Denver Water says this winter was unusually warm and delivered record-low snowpack in the areas that feed its reservoirs. (denverwater.org) The restrictions are not just a Denver story. In southwest Colorado, the city of Durango said on April 9 that it plans to implement water restrictions “this week or next” as it prepares for a difficult water year under extreme drought conditions. (durangoherald.com) Durango is also rewriting its drought management plan so the city can enforce restrictions more aggressively. That turns water-saving choices from a nice extra into something closer to a building-season requirement for yards, patios, and new landscaping. (durangoherald.com) For homeowners, the practical shift is away from thirsty turf and toward landscapes that survive on fewer watering days. Denver Water’s current rules already separate lawns from trees and shrubs, which is a sign that cities are trying to keep long-lived plants alive while asking grass to take the hit first. (denverwater.org) For builders and remodelers, the timing matters because April and May are when people pour patios, replace driveways, and plant new yards. A region entering drought mode before summer starts makes low-water designs and surfaces that handle stormwater on-site a safer bet than projects built around frequent irrigation. (denverwater.org)