Boulder residents can expect to see low water levels at lakes and ponds in parks and on open space due to severe drought, according to an advisory by Boulder city officials.
The city issued an advisory last week after being contacted by community members, said Amy Willhite, water resources administrator, and Kim Hutton, water resources manager.
The drought is not impacting the availability of city water, Willhite and Hutton said, which is set up to compensate for droughts.
“Our municipal water supply is designed to accommodate multiyear dry periods, so we’re able to supply water to our customers without asking for water use restrictions during dry conditions because we’ve developed our system to have the storage that can buffer the drought,” Hutton said.
While officials will keep monitoring drought conditions, it’s unlikely the city will implement water restrictions this summer, Hutton said.
Boulder County is currently classified as in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and 92% of Colorado is in a severe, extreme or exceptional drought.
The drought will impact farmers and ranchers leasing city-owned open space, as irrigation users with more senior water rights use up what water is available first.
“Crop types in these areas are generally pretty resilient, but it can create some challenges to irrigation, especially late in the season like this. It’s something farms are dealing with across the state right now,” Willhite said.
The lack of rain or runoff flowing into ponds and lakes also leads to lower water levels and low levels of oxygen, which may impact the health of fish, Willhite said.
“We’re not there yet, but we wanted to prepare people in case that could happen,” she said.
Cooler temperatures slated for the coming days should help the water quality, Hutton said, though people recreating on open space can still expect to see dry vegetation.
“I think it’s important for the community to know that living in a semiarid climate, there’s this natural variability in our drought conditions — some years are wet or wetter, some are dry or drier, and it’s within the normal range of climate for our region,” Hutton said. “When we do experience dry conditions or drought conditions, it’s something we’ve experienced in the past and most of our systems are built to tolerate it. With these ponds getting lower, it’s not unprecedented. It’s part of living in this region.”
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September 07, 2020 at 01:02AM
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Low water levels in lakes, ponds due to severe drought - The Daily Camera
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