Denver Water snowpack and water supply update

Denver Water depends on mountain snowpack for 90% of its water supply, which serves 1.5 million people in Denver and surrounding suburbs. 

Snowpack as of March 2, 2026, was near record lows: The Colorado River Basin within Denver Water’s collection system was at 62% of normal. The South Platte River Basin within Denver Water’s collection area was 49% of normal. In Denver Water’s decades of records for its watershed collection areas, as of March 2, Colorado River snowpack ranked the second worst, and the South Platte River snowpack ranked the worst.

No matter what, Denver Water’s annual summer watering rules will always be in place during the irrigation season. And, it is likely that we will need to implement additional drought response measures this year. Denver Water’s response to drought conditions uses a layered approach, including the potential for additional watering restrictions, in order to preserve water supplies. Denver Water will move closer to developing recommendations for its Board of Water Commissioners on a potential drought response over the next couple of months.

Since 2000, Denver Water’s response to dry conditions in previous years included issuing a Drought Watch (voluntary restrictions) in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2012 and 2013. In some of those years (2002, 2003, 2004, 2013), Denver Water levied additional drought restrictions as part of declaring a Stage 1 level response, which required mandatory reductions in outdoor water use. 

Denver Water snowpack update for March 2, 2026 

•    Conditions remain highly concerning. Poor snowfall combined with warm temperatures have left us roughly 4-5 feet of snow short of where we’d prefer to be in the Denver Water collection area at this time.  To reach the normal spring snowpack peak, which typically occurs in April, we need to see an additional 8 feet to 10 feet of snow this spring.

•    Reservoir storage conditions are below average, but in reasonably good shape: as of March 2, 2026, the reservoirs were 80% full versus an average of 85% full for this time. Those levels are also temporarily affected by the need to keep Gross Reservoir low during construction to raise the dam, a project designed to increase the storage capacity of the reservoir. 

•    Denver Water has been here several times over roughly 50 years of reliable records. On the positive side, we have experienced years that started dry and conditions dramatically improved in March, April and May. This year, however, we are running out of time to build a healthy winter base.

•    We’re reminding customers to do their part by making water-efficient upgrades, inside and outside, including rethinking their yards. These steps preserve water supplies and create more adaptable and drought-resilient landscapes that fit naturally into our climate. 

•    No matter what, Denver Water’s annual summer watering rules will always be in place during the irrigation season. Additional drought restrictions, voluntary or mandatory, will depend in part on how the rest of the snow season shapes up and will be aimed at preserving water supplies in case this unusually dry stretch deepens into a multiyear drought.  

•    Comment from Greg Fisher, Denver Water's manager of demand planning: 

“We are a long way from where we need to be in terms of snowpack; now is a great time for customers to be looking at their yards and thinking about changes they might make to reduce their water demand for this drought, and the next one,” said Greg Fisher, demand planning and efficiency manager for Denver Water. 

“Watering restrictions appear highly likely this spring, so what better time to rework even a portion of your yard to feature more climate-appropriate plants and drought-tolerant grasses.”
 
Denver Water has many resources for homeowners looking for inspiration and information about landscapes that fit naturally into our dry climate. Click here for conservation and efficiency tips for outdoor irrigation and to get more details on ways to ColoradoScape your property, including through rebates for turf removal and a DIY guide for landscape changes, among many other potential water-saving steps. 

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To learn more about the work Denver Water employees do to monitor the snowpack, read this TAP story about Denver Water employees snowshoeing into the forest near the top of Vail Pass in late January 2026 to conduct a monthly “snow survey.”

Additional information on Denver Water’s drought planning can be found here. Additional information on Denver Water reservoir levels, customer water use and snowpack can be found in the Water Watch Report, which is updated regularly during winter, spring and summer.