Durango enacts Stage 1 water restrictions amid record-low snowpack

Many basin snow-water-equivalent readings were still far below median on April 11, and Durango had already turned on Stage 1 mandatory water restrictions the day before. For anyone planning a summer of river trips, campground stays, gardening, or just keeping a patch of grass alive, it is a clear sign that water is becoming part of the recreation forecast in the Four Corners.

The new rules are aimed squarely at outdoor use. Even-numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Odd-numbered addresses get Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Outdoor landscape irrigation is banned all day on Wednesdays. The city said violations are enforceable under City Code and subject to fines. It also suspended its fire hydrant flushing program and limited washing of city fleet vehicles to once per month.

That matters because lawn irrigation accounts for about 70% of Durango’s water use, or roughly 100 gallons per capita per day. The revised Stage 1 rules are designed to cut daily water demand by 20%, and the city said it will reduce irrigation on city properties by another 10% as a model for the public. Before the restrictions took effect, city staff had already asked Durango’s largest water users to cut back voluntarily.

Public Works Director John Harris laid out the supply picture to the Durango City Council on April 7, pointing to regional reservoir conditions, snowpack, snow-water-equivalent readings, current weather and forecast precipitation through the water year. He said the city’s current drought plan would not produce enough savings and described the 2020 water supply and drought management plan as “somewhat toothless” when it comes to enforcement.

The city adopted that plan in February 2020 after significant raw water shortages in 2018. It was developed with a Drought Committee made up of city staff and volunteer community stakeholders, and it follows Colorado Water Conservation Board guidance. Council is scheduled to review the city manager’s declaration at its April 21 meeting.

Durango’s drinking water primarily comes from the Florida River, not the Animas River, so low snowpack in the Florida watershed hits the city directly. That is why the current stretch feels bigger than a lawn-watering issue. It is an early warning for anglers watching river conditions, rafters sizing up runoff, campers dealing with dustier pullouts, and gardeners trying to stretch a short supply through a dry, hot season.

The city’s move also fits a wider pattern across Colorado. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL data for April 11 showed many basin snow-water-equivalent readings well below median levels, after snowpack peaks came unusually early this year. For Durango, that leaves the 2026 water year looking tight before the real heat even settles in.