Grand County - Stage 3 Drought Water Usage Guidelines
An Exceptional Drought has been declared by the Drought Preparedness Committee because indicators point to conditions that are extreme.
Stage 3 indicates exceptionally dry conditions and will recommend water rationing. If conditions warrant, the Drought Preparedness Committee may not allow outdoor watering, and indoor water use may be restricted.
Stage 3 drought recommendations could affect the quality of life in Grand County and will result in the long-term loss of landscapes.
Indicators and Triggers
• The US Drought Monitor Index has Grand County in an extreme (D3) drought or exceptional (D4) drought conditions.
• Snow-water equivalent is less than 50% of median on April 30th and precipitation accumulation for the water year is less than 50% of average.
• Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index is greater than -1.6.
• QuickDRI is red – indicating exceptionally dry and intense conditions.
• VegDRI is indicating extreme drought.
• The situation suggests that severe impacts on water-dependent businesses are unavoidable.
Recommended Actions
The following recommendations are voluntary and not regulatory in nature. Suggested actions go above and beyond the ‘Routine Water Conservation Practices’ recommended for everyday indoor and outdoor water use.
Drought Pricing: Drought pricing by municipal water restrictions is recommended for Stage 3 restrictions.
Well Users: In all cases, please review the well permit and/or water court decree for the legal uses of the well. For more information, see the Division of Water Resources website https://dwr.colorado.gov/services/well-permitting. To search for a well permit visit https://dwr.state.co.us/Tools/WellPermits.
Drought Preparedness Program Elements
| OUTDOOR WATERING AND IRRIGATION | |
|---|---|
| Lawn grass (residential, HOA, Commercial, industrial, institutional) | NO LAWN WATERING. Follow best management practices for Watering a Home Landscape During Drought as recommended in Appendix C of Final Drought Preparedness Plan: https://www.co.grand.co.us/1341/Drought-Preparedness-Program |
| Agricultural water, golf courses, and vegetable gardens | Voluntary reductions |
| Water wise landscapes, native/adaptive, trees, shrubs, and perennials (private) | Water no more than one day per month |
| New landscape establishment | Not allowed |
| Municipal streetscape | No watering |
| Flower gardens (private) | No watering |
| Sport fields and parks | Irrigated per mandatory scheduling or water budget restrictions to achieve a 30% reduction |
| WATER FEATURES | |
| Swimming pools, hot tubs, and other water features | Operation of single-family residential pools and hot tubs will not be permitted. No filling of pools or hot tubs |
| WASHING/EVENTS | |
| Cars - washing at home and charity events | Not permitted. Must use commercial car wash |
| Fleet vehicle washing | Not allowed |
| Street cleaning | Street sweeping for extreme health and safety issues only |
| Driveway and sidewalk washing | Washing and spraying on impervious surfaces is prohibited |
