Aurora, Colorado residents are likely to face water restrictions as mountain snowpack levels approach record lows, according to Aurora Water. Reservoir levels are significantly down, and depending on further declines, the city may implement water restrictions to conserve supply. The report highlights the situation being potentially worse than the historic drought of 2002 and outlines the stages of restrictions based on reservoir capacity.
AURORA, Colo. — Some Colorado residents are likely to see water restrictions as mountain snowpack nears record-low levels, Aurora Water told Denver7 on Wednesday. The Aurora Reservoir currently sits at 97% of its normal level, but that number can be deceiving because as you head to mountain reservoirs — where the city sources most of its water from — levels are much more meager.
According to city data, Spinney Mountain Reservoir in Park County is currently at 43%, Jefferson Lake is at 23%, and across its 12 reservoirs, Aurora Water is sitting at a total of 60%.'It's actually worse than it was in 2002,' explained Shonnie Cline, Aurora Water's deputy director of internal and external affairs. 'That doesn't mean that it's the worst that it's ever been in the entire time of the planet, but certainly since we've been keeping modern records.'After the historic 2002 drought year, Aurora updated its 2017 Water Management Plan to better plan for years with lower reservoir levels. According to its guidance, at full capacity, Aurora Water's reservoirs can provide residents with three years’ worth of water.It is currently at 60%. If that number lowers to just over 50%, Aurora Water would approach city council, advising it to implement stage 1 water restrictions, which would reduce outdoor watering from three days a week to two days.If reservoirs lower to 37.5%, it would trigger stage 2 restrictions, which reduces outdoor water use even more.And if Aurora Water's reservoirs reduce to lower than a year’s worth of water, stage three restrictions go into effect, which then triggers rationing and how much water you can use in your home.Below is a map illustrating Aurora Water's supply locations.“ 2026, we will more than likely see some restrictions,' Cline said. 'Though, that is totally up to city council and also what happens here in the coming weeks. In 2027, if we continue to see this very dry, warm pattern, then further restrictions may be something that we'll have to consider.'Cline likened reservoir levels to a financial budget's emergency fund. She said they can absorb short-term pains as they make up what was dolled out over time. Cline said the major concern is if Colorado sees consecutive low snowfall years.“We are not in a state of panic,' she said. 'Be mindful about your role in managing everybody's water supplies. We all have a role to play.”Below is a statewide snowpack map for Colorado, as of Wednesday.Denver7 also wanted to check in with Denver Water. The company posted an update in early February about its reservoirs, noting that they are currently 82% full, which is about 4% below average for this time of the year.Nathan Elder, Denver Water’s manager of water resources, explained that the fact that January ended with the reservoirs in “relatively good shape,” is credit to customers who conserved water.Snowpack in Denver Water’s collection area typically peaks at the end of April, so that will be a critical indicator of the future, the company wrote online.In late January, crews with Denver Water headed west to look into the mountain snowpack near Vail Pass.This involves poking holes in the snow and collecting 10 samples to calculate snow water equivalent, also called SWE, which is the amount of water content in the snow.Those measurements are taken at the same location four times between January and April, Denver Water reported.The first measurements taken from 2026 echoed what the team saw at the end of 2025: Near record-level snowpack levels.“We were hoping for more storms in January, but unfortunately, we’re still in record-low territory when it comes to the snowpack,” Elder said. “We’re basically short by about 4 to 5 feet of snow as of the end of January.”Denver Water reported that at the end of January, snowpack in the Colorado and South Platte river basins — which is where the company collects its water — was about 58% and 45%, respectively. It explained that these numbers may differ from state numbers because it analyzes snowpack in the watershed where it collects water.“For the Colorado River Basin, that ranks as the third-worst on record,” Denver Water said. “For the South Platte Basin, the percentage ranks as second-worst for this time of year.”The two graphs below show snowpack trends, including 2025-2026 numbers, in those basins. The blue line marks the current conditions.Elder said that the later we get into the winter without big regular snowstorms, the more concerning the water supply becomes.“We still have three good months ahead of us to get some significant snow, and March and April are usually when we get our best snow, but the chances of fully catching up to ‘normal’ snowpack this year are dwindling,” he said.Denver7's Stephanie Butzer contributed to this report.
Water Restrictions Drought Aurora Colorado Reservoirs Snowpack
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