According to recent news reports, it sounds like the 19-year Colorado “drought” has come to an end, at least temporarily. Here’s a map of Colorado published this week on the drought.gov website:
You can click on the map for a slightly larger version.
The yellow area is “abnormally dry.” As I view the map, it appears that most of Archuleta County is in the “abnormally dry” area. Coulda fooled me.
Apparently, “abnormally dry” is not the same as “drought.” There are many ways to define the word “drought.” We have only a vague idea what drought.gov means by “drought”. (But then, we have only vague ideas about how most government statistics are created.) . For a brief discussion about what “drought” might or might not mean, check out the National Drought Mitigation Center, here.
If you read those descriptions carefully, you may end up with the understanding that “drought” is basically a measurement of “need,” It can refer to a “shortage of rain and snow” but can just as easily mean, “people are using — or wasting — too much goddamn water, and now there’s not enough to go around.”
Many Colorado leaders concerned about ‘climate change’ have been pointing to the ongoing “drought” situation in the American West as proof that, indeed, the future of our water supplies all across the American West is rather bleak, unless the entire world can cut its carbon emissions in a significant way, and maybe also build a lot more dams and reservoirs with all our excess tax money. No doubt the fact that Colorado is currently in the middle of one of our wettest years in recent memory has taken some wind out of their sails.
Of course, it’s easy to say: “Okay, we’re having a wet year, sure. But one year does not necessarily suggest a long-term pattern.”
Neither does an 19-year “drought” suggest a long-term pattern, if you’re looking at the scientific studies about prehistoric climate patterns in the American West. (Which we covered in a previous Daily Post editorial series, here.) Climate scientists tell us that the American West has seen century-long droughts considerably more severe than the one that supposedly began 18 years ago.
I use the word, “supposedly,” because — in the case of Archuleta County — our water district has not needed to implemented lawn watering restrictions since 2002. When I’m allowed to water my lawn for purely aesthetic purposes, for the past 17 years, I have a hard time believing that we had an honest-to-goodness “drought situation” in Archuleta County.
I believe nearly all of Colorado has had the same lawn-watering experience, over the past 17 years. Here are the 2019 rules for Colorado’s largest water district — Denver Water — following a 19-year “drought”:
Following the summer watering rules is the right thing to do in our dry climate and helps preserve reservoir levels, reducing the risk of water restrictions in the future. The watering rules incorporate best practices for efficient outdoor water use that will help keep your landscape healthy. Outdoor Watering Rules are in effect May 1 to Oct. 1
- Water during cooler times of the day — lawn watering is NOT allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Water no more than three days per week.
- Do not allow water to pool in gutters, streets and alleys.
- Do not waste water by letting it spray on concrete and asphalt.
- Repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days.
- Do not irrigate while it is raining or during high winds.
- Use a hose nozzle with a shut-off valve when washing your car.
We probably all agree that folks shouldn’t water their lawns while it’s raining.
Meanwhile, there are other reasons to be concerned about the state’s water supplies.
The Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) — our main taxpayer-supported water district — will hold their monthly Board meeting this Thursday, May 16 at 5pm at the PAWSD offices, 100 Lyn Avenue. (The agenda looks to be mercifully brief.) . We’ve heard that, as of this month, all of the water reservoirs serving PAWSD are full. Apparently, the local drought — if there really was one — is currently in the past.
A chart indicating recent water production statistics appears, as usual, in the Board packet… and here’s a detail of that chart:
The lines running across the chart show the “drinking water production” from the three PAWSD water treatment plants. The colored bars near the bottom of the page indicate the amount of treated water that never reached customer taps, due to leaks in the district’s water pipes, and due to other maintenance issues and requirements.
During January 2019, the plants produced about 40.2 million gallons of drinking water. About 16.8 million gallons never arrived at our water taps, for a “non-revenue water” tally of about 41 percent.
If you look at the water “lost” in April 2019, you can see that the light green bar is more than twice the height of the April 2018 “lost water” bar (the dark green bar) and also about twice the amount for 2017 and 2016. As a result of this massive loss, water production very high this April — about 44 million gallons, about 10 million gallons more than what is typically produced in April. We thus had for a “non-revenue water” tally of about 50 percent in April, of which 46 percent is “unaccounted for.”
My understanding is that water districts in America typically strive for a water loss of around 5-7 percent.
I emailed PAWSD Manager Justin Ramsey, asking him about this water loss, and very quickly got the following response:
I believe about 2 months ago we got a 200 gpm [gallons per minute] leak in the Meadows area. We are looking for it but have been unable to find it thus far.
I find it heartening that PAWSD has identified the general area of the possible leak: Meadows area. I don’t know how many miles of water lines we are talking about, in a 2,260-acre subdivision. From what I can tell, PAWSD has recently become conscientious about finding and fixing its leaks. That was not always the case.
One question facing the water managers in Colorado has to do with a potentially changing climate. Another question, just as important — ultimately, more important perhaps, and with a more definitive answer — is: How much water are we wasting, day after day, in Colorado?
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.