Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) customers are now under voluntary drought restrictions, signaling developing drought conditions in the area.
PAWSD Manager Justin Ramsey announced the voluntary restrictions via press release on Monday evening, May 5.
The press release explains that the PAWSD Board of Directors approved the 2018 Drought Management Plan on May 17, 2018, with that plan setting trigger points for voluntary drought procedures and four mandatory drought restriction stages from low through severe.
The trigger points for the voluntary drought restrictions, according to the press release, are any one of the following:
1. A curtailment order on Four Mile Creek prior to May 1.
2. A maximum snow water equivalency (SWE) less than 75 percent of median.
3. Reservoir levels with the addition of diversion flow less than 90 percent.
The press release explains a curtailment order on Four Mile Creek received was on April 30, with the district then implementing voluntary drought restrictions as of May 5.
The voluntary water reduction stage is intended to give the community advanced notice of developing drought conditions and to begin to foster water conservation and voluntary water use reduction with a reduction goal of 10 percent, according to the press release.
It adds the voluntary stage does not trigger the drought surcharge or tier rate multipliers.
PAWSD will implement Level 1 mandatory drought restrictions in the event the reservoir levels drop below 70 percent, it notes.
The Drought Management Plan can be found at https://www.pawsd.org/water-service/water-conservation/.
Voluntary water
conservation tips
The PAWSD website lists the following water conservation tips:
• “Water grass/landscapes early in the morning or late in the evening to prevent water lost to evaporation.”
• “Water deeply and less frequently to encourage healthy root growth.”
• “Consider installing drip irrigation for landscapes.”
• “Use a broom or rake to clean hard surfaces instead of water.”
• “Ensure your washing machine and dishwasher are full to capacity before running the load.”
Drought and precipitation
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of May 1, 100 percent of Archuleta County continues to be in severe drought, with 10.64 percent of the county — the eastern edge — in extreme drought.
Following that date, Pagosa Country received moisture over the course of several days, with areas in Archuleta County reporting from 1.11 inches to 2.07 inches of precipitation between Sunday, May 4, and Wednesday, May 11, according to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS).
CoCoRaHS data shows that a site 1.6 miles south southwest of Pagosa Springs received 1.11 inches of precipitation, which included 0.8 inches of snow.
A site in southeast Archuleta County reported 2.07 inches of precipitation over that time, including 5 inches of snow.
Streamflow and snowpack
As of 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 7, the San Juan River at Pagosa Springs was flowing at a rate of 411 cubic feet per second (cfs), it’s lowest point since before the week’s precipitation, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The data shows than the median flow for that time is 1,020 cfs, with a minimum flow of 192 cfs coming in 2002 and a maximum of 2,650 cfs taking place in 1985.
According to SNOTEL data provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan River Basins were at 32 percent of median snowpack as of May 7.
That data shows that the Wolf Creek summit had 11.6 inches of SWE Wednesday, which compared to the May 7 median of 33.9 inches, and is at 34 percent of median.
The nearby Upper San Juan SNOTEL site reported 2.0 inches of SWE on May 7, which compares to a May 7 median of 21.5 inches. The site is at 9 percent of median.
randi@pagosasun.com
