Water Restrictions in Colorado– 2026

Colorado’s Front Range is facing a significant drought driven by three consecutive below-average snowpack years. The 2025–2026 winter snowpack measured just 55% of normal across the South Platte and Colorado River basins.

• Denver Water– Stage 1 Drought Response: 2 days per week, even/odd scheduling. Covers Denver, Lakewood, Littleton, Centennial, Wheat Ridge, Greenwood Village, Sheridan, Glendale, and Edgewater — about 1.5 million people across 9 cities. View the full Denver Water utility profile for stage triggers, drought pricing, and supply portfolio.
• Aurora Water– Stage 1 Drought Response: 2 days per week, even/odd scheduling. Covers Aurora with slightly different day assignments.
• Northern Water region– Reduced 2026 quota allocation (worst snowpack in 60+ years). Voluntary Drought Watch across Windsor, Johnstown, Evans, Loveland, Fort Collins. Mandatory restrictions follow if Northern Water cuts.
• Boulder County trio– Lafayette, Louisville, Superior, plus Boulder, all on the same Drought Watch with voluntary 2–3 days/week and no 10am–6pm watering. Diversified supply portfolio buffers vs. Denver Water.

SW Colorado / Four Corners– Cortez and Mancos (Montezuma County) are in severe multi-year drought driven by San Juan Mountains snowpack near 5% of average by April 1, 2026, a separate snowpack system from the Front Range. Cortez (City of Cortez Water, McPhee Reservoir / Dolores Project) adopted a mandatory midday watering ban, no lawn watering 10am to 5pm, in effect since May 15, 2026. Mancos (Town of Mancos, Jackson Gulch Reservoir on the Mancos River) is on voluntary conservation. Cortez and Mancos sit 17 miles apart in the same county but draw from different reservoirs and different watersheds.

Colorado HB 21-1229 prohibits HOAs from requiring water-intensive turf or penalizing homeowners for xeriscaping. New Kentucky Bluegrass installations are prohibited until restrictions are lifted.

As of late April 2026, Eagle River Water and Sanitation District (serving Vail and the Eagle Valley) has escalated to Stage 3— the most severe ERWSD drought stage, with watering permitted only between midnight and 8am or 8pm and midnight on two assigned days per week. Then on May 1, 2026, the Willow Brook Metropolitan District (which serves the Ruby Ranch community near Silverthorne in Summit County) approved an emergency drought declaration that bans all outdoor water use — irrigation, drip, hand watering with district water, car washing, and pool or hot tub filling with district water — through the end of 2026 with fines starting at up to $1,000 per offense. Town of Silverthorne residents on the town water utility are NOT automatically covered by Willow Brook’s ban; verify your provider with Silverthorne Public Works at 970-262-7300. Northglenn has moved to Stage 2 mandatory restrictions with fines. Denver Water is finalizing temporary drought pricing (surcharges) on high-volume outdoor use expected to take effect mid-season.