The Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) exited its mandatory drought restrictions on Monday, Sept. 28, due to recent precipitation, according to a report from District Engineer Justin Ramsey.
This change removes the tier rate multipliers for higher water use and other restrictions that were in place under prior drought stages.
PAWSD’s drought management plan sets its drought restrictions based on water levels in the San Juan River; water levels in Lake Hatcher, one of the district’s primary reservoirs; and National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) drought levels for Archuleta County; among other factors.
Ramsey states that the San Juan River was flowing at 339 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Sept. 28, above the median Sept. 28 flow of 90 cfs and last year’s flow of 57 cfs.
He indicates that curtailment of PAWSD water diversion on Four Mile Creek has ended, and Hatcher Lake is now receiving water again and its level is rising.
The NIDIS has also downgraded all of Archuleta County from extreme to severe drought, Ramsey states.
Ramsey states that the water levels in Hatcher and the San Juan River flows are sufficient to remove the district from drought restrictions.
He added that precipitation in September has been 272 percent of normal September precipitation.
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