On Tuesday, April 7, the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) announced that the district is implementing voluntary drought restrictions.
According to a statement from the district, “The Voluntary water reduction stage is intended to give the community advanced notice of developing drought conditions and to begin encouraging water conservation and voluntary water use reduction. The Voluntary stage does not trigger the drought surcharge or tier rate multipliers.”
The statement explains the trigger points for the voluntary stage are:
• A curtailment order on Four Mile Creek prior to May 1.
• A maximum snow water equivalency (SWE) less than 75 percent of median.
• Reservoir levels with the addition of diversion flow less than 90 percent.
The statement notes, “With a maximum Snow Water Equivalency (SWE) of less than 75% of Median as of April 6, 2026, the District is implementing Voluntary Drought Restrictions as of April 7, 2026. PAWSD will implement the next level of mandatory drought restriction stages as dry conditions continue, and these do trigger drought surcharges and/or tier rate multipliers.”
For more on the current SWE conditions and more, see Thursday's issue of The SUN.
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