Drought in Upper Gunnison River Valley, Colorado

At the beginning of the month of April the US Drought Monitor analyzed an area of Extreme (D3) Drought as covering approximately 45% of Colorado Zone 014 - Upper Gunnison River Valley, with 30% of the zone under Severe (D2) Drought conditions, and 25% under Moderate (D1) Drought conditions. With the 4/29 US Drought Monitor update, the area of Extreme (D3) Drought was reduced to 40% coverage, with Severe (D2) Drought now covering 35% of the zone. Moderate (D1) Drought still covered 25% of the zone. Drought impacts at this time are limited to the poor snowpack. Concerns are increasing over the impact of the drought on the summer wildfire season. Additionally, there are concerns about future water allocations from Blue Mesa Reservoir and the other reservoirs that make up the Aspinall Unit. Much of this water is already earmarked for areas downstream along the Colorado, which leaves concern over what water will be available to the communities in this zone to use for drinking, home irrigation, farming, and ranching.

The month of April saw weather closer to that expected for the time of year. While temperatures did end up being, on average, warmer than normal, the departures were significantly less compared to the month of March. The mountains saw a few solid snowfalls during the month, as well as some precipitation across the lower elevations. Areas north of I-70 generally fared the best. Locations in this region did see some improvement in drought conditions. Areas south of I-70 generally remained the same or worsened slightly.